Leonce Raphael Agbodjélou : Egungun Masquerades

Egungun Masquerades is the Benin-based photographer Agbodjélou’s first solo exhibition in South Africa. This is his most recent series depicting incarnations of the Yoruba tribe’s ancestral forebears, who appear at funerals and annual festivals in ritualised parades, magical feats and colourful pageantry. In these photographs, Agbodjélou explores the complex role of the Egungun, capturing both their individual personalities and mannerisms, while emphasising their unequivocal presence as enigmatic spiritual manifestations. For further reading about the ‘Egungun’ refer to Portraits of the ‘Deathlessness of Cloth': Leonce Raphael Agbodjélou’s Egungun Masquerades Series by Ruth Simbao. Leonce Raphael Agbodjelou | Egungun Masquerade VII | 2015 | Pigment Ink on HP Premium Satin Photographic Paper | 202 x 150 cm 2 Leonce Raphael Agbodjelou | Egungun Masquerade VIII | 2015 | Pigment Ink on HP Premium Satin Photographic Paper | 202 x 150 cm www.smacgallery.com/