The Overseas Banquet, supported by the Association d’Histoire de l’Art des Outremers, is establishing an unprecedented artistic dialogue between two overseas territories separated by kilometers and seas: the French Caribbeans and Polynesia. This initiative gives a voice to the artists of these islands, who until now have received little recognition in mainland France, such as the pioneer Georges Coran, and the new generation of artists, such as the duo Dach&Zephyr, Hinatea Colombani, Moeava Meder and Miriama Bono, skilled defenders of Polynesian tapa.
Through a selection of artists from the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the exhibition aims to highlight the historical, social and cultural roots of artistic practices in the French overseas territories.
Each of the five featured artists and creators illustrates, through their work, the diversity and complexity of these territories' artistic narratives:
Georges Coran, born in Martinique in 1927, a graduate of the École des Arts Appliqués in Fort-de-France and the École Boulle in Paris, excelled in applied arts and fabric painting, celebrating Antillean figures.
Dach&Zephyr, a dynamic duo navigating between Guadeloupe and Paris, creates striking sculpture-objects that serve as powerful memorials to slavery and marronage.
On the Pacific side, Hinatea Colombani revisits tapa – a plant-based fabric rooted in ancient craftsmanship and damaged by colonial encounters – through a resolutely contemporary approach.
Miriama Bono innovatively revisits plant fibers, subverting traditional codes to craft bold, unique creations.
