c. 1960
Huile sur panneau Unalit
80×66 cm (cadre)
Notice dos : JAC. BR. 11. ‘89
Signature en bas à droite « Bela »

Originally from Chad, Bela (1920? -1968) conveys the beauty of nature in its purest form. The artist’s flora and fauna defy any perspective, and the colours glorify the subjects that they represent. Bela’s fish fly into the abyss of the sea, while his antelopes swim in the African bush. Unrivalled in his use of colour, Bela juggles with bright, contrasting shades, fearlessly reinterpreting reality. Bela’s world is one in which none of the pictorial laws taught in the history of Western art exist anymore. Quite the contrary, the Chadian rewrites the rules and works his technique using his fingers, giving his work a unique finish.