Max Lyonga Sako is a painter originating from the south west province of Cameroon, where he lives and works.

According to a World Bank portrait of the artist, “Max Lyonga’s native Bakweri culture, the environment, social aspects of life, and intimate scenes and feelings dominate his artistic works which he expresses through abstraction and figurative works.”

Max started with figurative art until he met some German artists practicing abstract painting and this event caused his work and style to evolve and become a mixture of figurative and abstract painting. In the past 10 years, Max Lyonga has steadily built a solid reputation for himself as a serious and talented painter. One of his paintings was selected by the Cameroon Ministry of Culture in 1998 as the best artistic work in the country. And his popularity is fast spreading beyond the borders of Cameroon: a German art gallery recently bought 42 of his paintings, and his paintings have been displayed in art galleries in Côte d’Ivoire, England, Italy, France, Spain, the United States, Australia, Lebanon, and South Africa.

Max Lyonga is also a noted environmentalist and community activist who has used his growing name recognition and contacts to assist street kids and HIV infected children in Cameroon. According to the WB portrait, "his charitable works also include one of his paintings that sold at an auction sale for seven million cfa francs and he donated all of the money to help children suffering from HIV/AIDS in his native town Buea".

Painting - Acrylic on canvas
Title: "My Hope Relies On You".
Size: 16x20 inch. 

50% of the revenues of this original gorilla painting, signed by the artist, will go to the conservation of the Cross River Gorillas in South West Cameroon.

Shipping and handling costs (US and Europe): US$75

Video of the art workshop