Born in 1958, Pahou, Benin.
Lives and works in Porto Novo, Benin.
Calixte Dakpogan’s Vodun heritage is intrinsic to his work. Born into a family of blacksmiths, he grew up in the Goukoumé district of Porto-Novo, Benin, a neighborhood dedicated to Ogun, the god of iron. Ogun is the principal divinity worshiped by the Dakpogan family. The tradition of metalworking has been passed down from father to son since their ancestor Sabgo Ayato worked as a blacksmith in the royal court of King Toffa.
The abundance of car wrecks in Porto-Novo has provided Calixte Dakpogan with an inexhaustible source of materials. He began using scavenged car parts to create standing figures, directly continuing the tradition of Fon iron sculptures from the early nineteenth century. In 1992, he was commissioned to create a series of 100 works for Ouidah 92: The First International Festival of Vodun Arts and Cultures. His contribution remains on permanent display. Today, after an interval of more than a century and a half, the relationship between Fon sculpture and Dakpogan’s work transcends purely visual or technical concerns, becoming intimately connected to the creative process itself.
Since 1990, Calixte Dakpogan has worked independently, using salvaged metal and plastic elements to create anthropomorphic figures and masks. A gas tank becomes a body, headlights become teeth; two formless segments merge into a recognizable figure. His creations, full of humour, imagination, and narrative depth, are infused with a contemporary vision and remarkable inventiveness.
Collections
C.A.A.C. The Jean Pigozzi Collection, Geneva, Switzerland
Collection Fondation Alliances, Marrakech, Morocco
Collection Farida et Henri Seydoux, Paris, France
Collection Gervanne et Matthias Leridon, Paris, France
