Madame Widow Biyembel
Wilfried Mbida
Wilfried Mbida, Madame Veuve Biyembel, Video, 2024
In Madame Veuve Biyembel, Wilfried Mbida reflects on the profound absence of her grandmother, Mrs Widow Biyembel née Tchachouang Esther, who disappeared nearly three years ago. The work also commemorates her extraordinary life, which epitomises the cultural and historical complexities of Cameroon’s independence era. Born into the Bamiléké (Batoufam) heritage, Madame Biyembel broke with tradition by marrying into the Basaa tribe, setting off a series of pivotal events that shaped her identity. Her life was marked by three significant tragedies: the death of her husband, the loss of six children and a grandson, and her own mysterious disappearance, which left an enduring void in the family’s history.
The video portrays Mbida holding an empty picture frame in her grandmother’s now vacant home as her image unexpectedly appears on the floor, conveying the intangible presence of her absence. The empty frame is symbolic of the emotional void that the artist has had to live with. It is a weight that follows her everywhere. In the video, silence becomes “noise,” symbolising the unresolved emotions Mbida has faced since her grandmother’s disappearance. One persistent question that haunts Mbida is whether her grandmother’s life might have been different had she not had to fight against so many cultural norms as a woman.
The video portrays Mbida holding an empty picture frame in her grandmother’s now vacant home as her image unexpectedly appears on the floor, conveying the intangible presence of her absence. The empty frame is symbolic of the emotional void that the artist has had to live with. It is a weight that follows her everywhere. In the video, silence becomes “noise,” symbolising the unresolved emotions Mbida has faced since her grandmother’s disappearance. One persistent question that haunts Mbida is whether her grandmother’s life might have been different had she not had to fight against so many cultural norms as a woman.
Whilst Mbida’s work grapples with the emotional impact of loss and cultural constraints, Amanda Mushate’s Mushoko Erudo Nezvito (2024) shifts the focus to the nurturing connections between generations, offering a visual narrative of continuity and resilience through familial bonds and shared traditions.
Wilfried Mbida
CameroonMadeleine Wilfried Mbida (b. 1990) is a Cameroonian artist from Nkongsamba. She holds a Master II in Fine Arts with a focus on painting, obtained in 2016, and a diploma in Fine Arts from the Institut des Beaux - Arts in Nkongsamba. Mbida’s professional experience includes participation in notable exhibitions and residencies, such as the 2024 Dakar Biennale and a creation residency at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center in Miami in December 2023. She has showcased her work in various exhibitions, including a solo exhibition at the Galerie Christophe Person in Paris in December 2022 and a representation of Cameroon at the Jeux de la Francophonie in Kinshasa in July 2023.
Her works are part of significant collections, including the Gandur Foundation for Art in Geneva and the Pas - Chaudoir Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art from Africa and the Diaspora. Fluent in French and Bassa’a, with intermediate English proficiency, Mbida continues to make impactful contributions to the contemporary art scene.
