Gîtes Ruraux de l'Ouest, Dschang, Cameroon, Africa

Gîtes Ruraux de l'Ouest

Dschang, Cameroon, Africa


Gîtes Ruraux de l'Ouest Art Gallery	Artist Residence and Office

Dschang, (pronounced "chung") is located in the Western Province of Cameroon, in Central Africa. Known for its rich cultural and artistic heritage and mild climate, Dschang is also the home of Gîtes Ruraux de l'Ouest, a center where local contemporary artists can reside and work in an atmosphere that is both supportive and inspiring. The founder and director of Gîtes Ruraux de l'Ouest is René Pounde. René was born in Dschang, then left for Europe and America when he was 19 years old. He returned to his beloved Dschang twenty years later. René inherited his father's passion for art. In 1995 he converted a restaurant on his property into a gallery/lecture hall and another small building into a studio, bedroom and office. Since that time, Gites Ruraux de l'Ouest has encouraged local art by providing a room, studio, and exhibition space free of charge to 8 artists, some of whom have gone onto to Paris and America to participate in new cultural exchanges.

Exorcism Objects, Foto Chiefdom, Dschang, 1909	Wall Painting, Sergeo Demefak, 1999

drum, horns, metal	*Sanzibox* 20" x 24" x 4", wood, metal, quills, paint	detail of *Sanzibox*

Sergeo Demefack produced these 5 pieces as a resident artist in 2000.


*Hendrixstick* 45" x 16" x 4"	*Guardians,* 48" x 90" x 40" metal, fiber, clay, and foam	Found Object, 27" x 10" x 34" paper, horns, rubber, metal, and paint


Hervé Youmbi	René, by Hervé	Hervé and His Majesty Momo 1st
Gîtes Ruraux de l'Ouest would like to reach beyond Dschang and establish relationships with other centers and artists. Although currently only able to house one artist at a time, René hopes to find sponsors that would help him renovate a larger building on his property into a better facility. René would also like to establish a library and a computer center there. Although Gîtes Ruraux de l'Ouest has occasionally received support from the Alliance Franco-Camerounaise of Dschang, it is primarily financed though private donations. For more information about the center, or to offer your support, please write (in English or French) to: René Pounde Director of Gîtes Ruraux de l'Ouest P.O. Box 04 Dschang West Province Republic of Cameroon Africa Fax: (237) 45-19-54

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LINKS:
Art-Batik of Adehoumi Sikirou Shola
Bark Pictures of Claude Ngaha
Dschang Handicraft Center
Metal Casting in Foumban
Wood Carving in Foumban
Abdou Mfopa
Pottery of Western Cameroon
Cameroonian beadworking
Tapestry Crochet in Cameroon
Cameroonian Basket Maker, Fokam Goufo Buhler
Cameroonian Author, Mih John Fung
Cameroonian Painter, Hilarion Wirdzeka Faison
Nigerian Painter, Elcarver Rotimi Agbola
Tapestry Crochet Home Page

Web page, photographs, and text by Carol Ventura in 2001. Please look at Carol's home page to see more about crafts around the world.