Artist Database

Born in 1968 in Bafang, Cameroon, Hako Hankson is a self-taught artist based in Douala. With a background in car mechanics, Hankson chose a path in painting, deeply influenced by the art and culture of his homeland. Growing up surrounded by ancestral objects such as masks and totems, Hankson’s work is a tribute to the history and myths of ancient African civilizations, reinterpreting ancestral rites with contemporary resonance. Pan-African and a free thinker, he readily cites the great independence fighters—Thomas Sankara, Ahmed Sekou Touré, Kwame Nkrumah—and draws inspiration from the thought of Cheikh Anta Diop, adhering to an Afrocentric vision that gives pride of place to sub-Saharan cultures and encourages solidarity on the continent. That's why, beyond his artistic practice, he has fostered a collaborative environment for fellow artists, establishing the In and Off Art Center in 2013 to support those facing challenges in the visual arts.