Marc Padeu's 'Dans la plantation' at Peres Projects Milan

Peres Projects in Milan presents 'Dans la plantation', a series of seven paintings by Cameroonian artist Marc Padeu (born 1990 in Melong). The works pay homage to Cameroon's agricultural culture, specifically a cocoa plantation near Yaoundé. Padeu, who still lives in Melong, blends naturalistic and impressionistic techniques with saturated acrylics, creating iridescent foliage and contrasts of yellows, oranges, and lilacs. The series continues his exploration of Cameroonian farming regions, previously focusing on a banana plantation in Nombé-Penja. Scenes depict workers pausing, resting, or flirting, echoing a 'déjeuner sur l'herbe' from multiple viewpoints. The narrative thread connects characters across canvases, while Padeu's slow method yields only a few paintings per year, all sought by private collectors and museums. His work reveals knowledge of European art from Renaissance masters to Manet and Gauguin.