Invoking Design Principles, Kpe Innocent Builds Minimal Human Figures with Geometric Shapes — Colossal

All images © Kpe Innocent, shared with permission

In his most recent paintings in acrylic, Kpe Innocent reduces the human body to its rudimentary forms. The Accra, Ghana-based artist translates arms, bellies, and heads into cylinders and geometric shapes rendered in minimal palettes of black, white, and pastel colors. Occupying vast swaths of negative space, the figures have "room to pause and breathe," and the paired-down settings draw greater attention to the engineered anatomy.

In a note to Colossal, Innocent shares that he's been interested in stories of creation and how those connect to his faith and practice. "I am convinced by looking at how systems operate and the evidence of design in the natural world that an intelligent mind is behind the natural things we see (where there is design, there is a designer)," he says, "and this fact can be seen in how we humans interpret and mimic nature in design processes even." DNA codes and the building blocks of digital interfaces continue to inform his paintings, and after working in earth tones and more dense environments, he's now gravitating toward clean lines and minimal brushstrokes that limit the markings of the artist's hand.

Innocent currently has a limited-edition print available through Moosey Art, where he will soon release a new sculpture, as well. His works will be on view at Volta Art Fair with African Arty and Maison Ozmen in Paris in the coming months, and you can find more of his paintings and glimpses into his process on Instagram. (via Juxtapoz)

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