Abu Created - 1996

141 x 92 x 138 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Bai Bweh (The Great Warrior) - 1993

140 x 100 x 120 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

High Tal J - 1992

115 x 95 x 65 cm
Painted wood sculpture, porcupine's spines and horn

Joe Arm Strong - 1997

154 X 144 X 139 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Kamajoh - 1998

220 x 145 x 71 cm
Painted wood and porcupine quills

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Kamajoh - 1998

220 x 145 x 71 cm
Painted wood and porcupine quills

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Kamajoh - 1998

220 x 145 x 71 cm
Painted wood and porcupine quills

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Kamajoh - 1998

220 x 145 x 71 cm
Painted wood and porcupine quills

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Kamajoh [detail] - 1998

220 x 145 x 71 cm
Painted wood and porcupine quills

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Mambolo (The Great Hunter) - 1993

200 x 190 x 120 cm
Painted wood, porcupine's spines and metal

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Mambolo (The Great Hunter) - 1993

200 x 190 x 120 cm
Painted wood, porcupine's spines and metal

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Mambolo (The Great Hunter) [detail] - 1993

200 x 190 x 120 cm
Painted wood, porcupine's spines and metal

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Mambolo (The Great Hunter) [detail] - 1993

200 x 190 x 120 cm
Painted wood, porcupine's spines and metal

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Mambolo (The Great Hunter) [detail] - 1993

200 x 190 x 120 cm
Painted wood, porcupine's spines and metal

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Mamy Water - 1992

122 x 70 x 70 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Sampa - 1993

140 x 100 x 60 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Sea Marble - 1992

110 x 50 x 65 cm
Painted wood and porcupine quills

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Sea Marble - 1992

110 x 50 x 65 cm
Painted wood and porcupine quills

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Sea Marble - 1992

110 x 50 x 65 cm
Painted wood and porcupine quills

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Sea Marble [detail] - 1992

110 x 50 x 65 cm
Painted wood and porcupine quills

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Sea Marble [detail] - 1992

110 x 50 x 65 cm
Painted wood and porcupine quills

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

The Three Survivals - 1999

142 x 103 x 50 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

The Twins Created - 1996

150 x 128 x 135 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

The Twins Created - 1996

150 x 128 x 135 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

The Twins Created - 1996

150 x 128 x 135 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

The Twins Created [detail] - 1996

150 x 128 x 135 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Untitled - 1999

115 x 115 x 82 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Untitled - 1999

115 x 115 x 82 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Untitled - ca. 1990's

50 X 50 X 50 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Untitled - 1999

50 X 50 X 50 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Untitled - 1999

50 X 50 X 50 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Untitled [detail] - 1999

115 x 115 x 82 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Untitled [detail] - 1999

115 x 115 x 82 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Yellarne - 1993

130 x 70 x 50 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Yellow Woman - 1993

120 x 120 x 100 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Yellow Woman - 1993

120 x 120 x 100 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Yellow Woman [detail] - 1993

120 x 120 x 100 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

Yellow Woman [detail] - 1993

120 x 120 x 100 cm
Painted wood sculpture with porcupine's spines

Photo © Maurice Aeschimann

John Goba

Born 1944, Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone, worked in Freetown, died in 2019.

Of Mende origin, John Goba was born into the hermetic milieu of women’s Bondo Society, in which his grandmother played an important role. Goba came of age under her protection, and at the end of his period of initiation, he settled in Mountain Cut, a district in Freetown. There, when he was around thirty, he experienced a revelation which prompted him to begin making masks for the Ode-lay initiation rituals and masquerades that had sprung up in Freetown in the 1970s. Ode-lay masks and dress are characterized by an extraordinary ornamental exuberance, incorporating unexpected materials (such as Christmas tree ornaments) to achieve spectacular effects. Goba’s first masks, made of wood and brightly coloured with industrial paint, initially followed Ode-lay customs. As he became more experienced, he began to create sculptures with greater freedom.

Goba’s imagery is inspired by the traditional lore and mysteries of his environment and his sculptures are a skilful blend of figures borrowed from time-honoured tales and his own fantasies. A multitude of porcupine quills invariably protrude from the main characters of his tableaux, as if assuring their protection and forbidding any access to the heart—or secret core—of the work. Each sculpture, Goba likes to say, has its own private history to which only the artist has the key.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2019

Alpha Crucis, Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo, Norway (01.22 to 09.30 2020)

2017

Art/Afrique, le nouvel atelier. Les Initiés, un choix d’œuvres (1989 – 2009) dans la collection d’art africain contemporain de Jean Pigozzi. Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, France (04/26/17 to 09/04/17)

2016

Lumières d'Afriques, Donwahi Foundation, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

2012

Africa / Africa, Centre d’art contemporain, Meymac, France

2011

Art Paris, Just Art! Grand Palais, Paris, France

2010

African Stories

Marrakech Art Fair, Marrakech

2006

100% Africa

Guggenheim Museum

Bilbao, Spain

2005

Arts of Africa

Grimaldi Forum

Monaco - France

2005

African Art Now : Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection

Museum of Fine Art Houston

Houston - USA

2003

Magic Markers: Objects of Transformation

Des Moines Art Center

Des Moines, Iowa - USA

2001

Anima Tribale, Corpo Metropolitano: Arte africana contemporanea/Tribal Soul. Metropolitan Body: Contemporary African art.

Galleria Spazia

Bologna – Italy

2001

Venice Biennal.

Venice, Italy.

2000

Lyon 5th Biennal of Contemporary Art.

Lyon, France.

1998-1999

7. Triennale der Kleinplastik

Zeitgenössische Skulptur.

SüdwestLB Forum.

Stuttgart, Germany.

1993

LA GRANDE VERITE, LES ASTRES AFRICAINS

Nantes Fine Arts Museum. France.

1992

OUT OF AFRICA

Saatchi Collection.

London, Great Britain.

1991

Africa Explore The Center for African Art,

New York, United States.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

2017

Les Initiés, un choix d’œuvres (1989 – 2009) dans la collection d’art africain contemporain de Jean Pigozzi. Editions Dilecta, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, France. Exhibition catlaogue

2006

100% Africa

Exhibition catalogue. Published by TF Editores & FMGB Guggenheim Bilbao Museum.

2005

African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection

Exhibition catalogue. Published by Merrell.

1998

7. Triennale der Kleinplastik

Zeitgenössische Skulptur. Exhibition catalogue, text in German.

Europa Afrika: John Goba by Jacques Soulillou.

1996

Contemporary Art of Africa : John Goba by Jacques Soulillou.

Text in English. Edited by André Magnin & Jacques Soulillou.

Publisher Harry N. Abraams.

1993

" La Grande Vérité, Les Astres Africains "

John Goba by Jacques Soulillou. Text in French.

Nantes Fine Arts Museum publication, France.

1991

AFRICA EXPLORES

Exhibition catalogue, text in English.

The Center for African Art.

New York, United States.