Marc Padeu's 'Memento Vivere' Blends Cocoa Plantations with Renaissance Iconography
Cameroonian artist Marc Padeu presents 'Memento Vivere' at Larkin Durey in London, running from July 17 to August 14, 2026. The exhibition features acrylic paintings that merge scenes of daily life on cocoa plantations with references to Renaissance religious paintings, such as the Adoration of the Magi. The title, Latin for 'remember to live,' is a counterpoint to memento mori, inspired by Seneca's essay 'On the Shortness of Life.' Works like 'La promesse et l'agneau' depict a mother and child flanked by gift-bearing adults, while others show figures in spiritual and secular realms. Padeu's narrative portrays communities in Cameroon, capturing moments outside of time. The gallery describes the figures as existing between promise and fate, with a growing awareness of life's fragility.
Key facts
- Marc Padeu's exhibition 'Memento Vivere' opens at Larkin Durey on July 17, 2026.
- The exhibition runs through August 14, 2026, in London.
- The title 'Memento Vivere' is Latin for 'remember to live.'
- The concept is inspired by Stoic philosopher Seneca's essay 'On the Shortness of Life.'
- Padeu merges scenes of daily life on cocoa plantations in Cameroon with Renaissance religious paintings.
- The painting 'La promesse et l'agneau' references the Adoration of the Magi.
- The gallery states the figures exist 'between promise and fate, light and shade.'
- Padeu's works are acrylic on canvas, with dimensions up to 66 7/8 x 78 3/4 inches.
Entities
Artists
- Marc Padeu
Institutions
- Larkin Durey
- Colossal
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Cameroon