ONCHOCERCIASIS
IN AFRICA
DESIGN ASPECT
How Onchocerciasis is depicted in art, music, literature, poetry, video, and symbols
Cameroon’s richness of more than 50 ethnic groups and languages – only to mention the more important ones – is also reflected by the variety of traditions, cultures and artefacts. Masques and myths the North-West Grasland, yellow-cast bronzes in Foumban, potteries and calebasses in the Savanna; Islam, traditional religions and all kind of Christian churches are found and co-exist without problems.
Cameroon artists are amongst the most sucessfuls in Africa, as concerns music, writing and painting. Beautiful clothes are made for men and women.
Issek a handicaped painter, designed the logo and many of the paintings in his house and lab. Issek was the Cameroonian ‘painter of the year in 2005’ and made exhibitions in Africa, France and USA.
Despite his severe handicap, Issek became famous and successfull as a painter. He now runs an artist training center in Ngaoundéré – financed by the American Ambassy – where others, many of them handicaped like himself, learn to earn their lifes by art. (Art and Artists, 2016)
![]() Issek, an artist affected by River Blindness, poses with his logo for Programme Onchocercoses | ![]() Issue's logo for Programme Onchocercoses close up |
---|---|
![]() Issek poses with a few of his paintings | ![]() Issek sells a painting to student, Mara, from San Fransisco California (A Camper in Cameroon, 2005) |
![]() Another work by Cameroon artist, Issek | ![]() Valerie another man affected by Onchocerciasis and purportedly from the same village as Issek, learned with Issek and follows his style |
![]() A student from Tübingen, Bettina Schreier, designed a more comfortable version of the Onchocercaparasite life cycle |