Here’s an artist whose art astounded me with its finesse, originality, beauty, and mysteriousness. So it was a real pleasure to meet Siêsi Nems via video call to discover his inspiring journey, his perception of the world, and the philosophy behind his art.

As a child, Siêsi divided his time between two passions: drawing and break dancing. These activities help him escape and create his own world and feel fulfilled.

As he grew up so did the influence of art over his life and the evidence of his artistic talent among those around him. In 2005, Siêsi met painter Merlin Nitcheu Monkam, who trained him in coloring with colored pencils. Growing increasingly passionate about his art, the idea of making art his vocation began germinating in his mind. At the same time, he became aware that being an artist was not considered in Cameroonian society and was more perceived as a “failure”. Being strategic, he enrolled in a two-year vocational training in sales and marketing at the Institut Universitaire du Golfe de Guinée, where he developed his skills in those fields.

But his artistic passion kept burning. He kept practicing his art with the utmost discipline and started to take part in a series of collaborations, including working as an airbrush master in the studio of the late graffiti artist Meric, where he dabbled, then excelled in street art, car tuning, and murals. He also took on numerous diverse artistic projects involving national and international NGOs.

Siêsi sealed his destiny as an artist when he decided to pursue a degree in Visual Arts and Art History at the University of Yaoundé. As he puts it, that is where he developed a real understanding of art and art history. There, he trained and became an instructor, then president of the Art Club while developing his skills as an artistic promoter, in particular by organizing a highly successful arts festival called 237 Five Colors.

Today, Siêsi is a full-time artist. He draws his inspiration from Cameroonian society, particularly its Bamiléké culture (from which he hails), depicting tenets such as ancestor worship, harmony between man and nature, and women as the intergenerational guardians of culture, values, and virtues. On a technical level, he particularly likes to take an anatomical and geometric approach to his work, which I believe lends a wonderful mystical dimension to his pieces and a striking aesthetic.

In addition, the African woman is a dominant subject in his art. Siêsi likes to depict her in all her beauty, that is, in all her forms, exposing her “imperfections” which, according to the person, can be criteria of beauty, for “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.

Through his work, Siêsi aims to resurrect ancestral values and cultural principles, conveying to the viewer a message of reconnection to the self and an understanding of their intrinsic value.

Thank you so much, Siêsi, for our fascinating and enriching interview. Please keep on captivating us with your art.

To acquire one or more of his superb works, contact him here: https://www.instagram.com/siesi_nems/?hl=en

Location: Douala (Cameroon)