Francis Offman works with installation and sculpture, yet his primary medium is painting. Working with various base surfaces such as jute, linen or canvas, Offman will gradually layer monochromatic pigments onto these materials and collage fragments of torn paper, ink, cotton or plaster. The paintings are not stretched or supported by wooden frames, but pinned to the wall, affording them a sense of vulnerability. Meditative and sensorial, each component of each work is meticulously considered by Offman. Perhaps the most central ingredient within Offman’s oeuvre is coffee. The artist began working with this material in 2014, using these grains as tangible vessels to reflect the cultural, political and economic relationship between Europe and Africa. Offman was born in Rwanda, and now lives in Italy after his family fled Rwanda during the civil war. Coffee imported from his native country acted as a consumable thread growing up, and the incorporation of these granules into his paintings sensitively tackles the trauma of European rule in Africa on both a personal and wider scale. Offman cites David Hammons as a key influence upon the way he conceptualizes projects, specifically the way in which individual substances can serve as shorthand for a myriad of social and political entanglements. Operating purely in an abstract field, the conceptual make up of Offman’s oeuvre speaks volumes. ...
The name P420 is inspired by Pantone 420, a universally recognized shade of grey known for its ability to serve as the perfect background, enhancing whatever it accompanies. P420 thus emerges as a platform whose primary aim is to embrace and elevate artistic ideas and expressions, fostering their harmonious coexistence within a context that supports, encourages, and celebrates diversity and innovation. Here, every voice can resonate powerfully and distinctly, much like a work of art standing out against the backdrop of Pantone 420.
P420 has been instrumental in the rediscovery of artists such as Irma Blank, Laura Grisi, Ana Lupas, and Stephen Rosenthal, collaborating directly with the artists or, when necessary, with their heirs or the Estates representing them. Through exhibitions, off-site projects, fairs, and a strong online presence, the gallery also supports the evolving narratives of contemporary art, initiating and supporting the journey of many young emerging talents like Victor Fotso Nyie, Francis Offman, and Shafei Xia. ...
