KeNof Franck Kemkeng Noah Cameroonian , b. 1992

Franck Kemkeng Noah, known professionally as KeNof, is a Cameroonian visual artist born in 1992 in Yaoundé. His artistic journey began at the Institut de Formation Artistique (IFA) in Mbalmayo, where he completed his secondary education in the arts, before continuing his studies at the Institut des Beaux-Arts de Foumban. Awarded a scholarship to pursue further studies in France, he earned a Master's degree in Fine Arts from the University of Picardy Jules Verne. He currently lives and works in France.

A prince of the Fontsa-Touala Chiefdom, part of the Bamileke cultural group of western Cameroon, KeNof draws profound inspiration from the traditions, symbols, and spiritual heritage of his ancestral culture. Working across painting and sculpture, he creates richly layered works that reinterpret traditional iconography through a contemporary lens. His practice is distinguished by a compelling dialogue between realism and imagination, through which he explores themes of identity, memory, transmission, and intercultural exchange.

KeNof's artistic research is informed by reflections on cultural hybridity and transformation, notably those developed in the Anthropophagic Manifesto of Oswald de Andrade. His work also engages in conversation with the practices of artists such as Hervé Youmbi and Étienne Martin, whose explorations of identity, memory, and cultural heritage have helped shape and enrich his artistic discourse.

Over the course of his career, KeNof has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Africa, Europe, and the United States. In 2022, his work was selected for the exhibition On the Road to the Chiefdoms of Cameroon... at the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, highlighting the richness and contemporary relevance of Cameroonian cultural traditions. In 2023, he was invited by the Texas Southern University Museum for an exhibition and artist residency, during which he collaborated with students and engaged in cross-cultural artistic exchange.

His 2025 solo exhibition, Succession, marked an important milestone in his career and was distinguished by the presence of the Chief of Fontsa-Touala, underscoring the deep connection between his artistic practice and his cultural heritage. KeNof's work has also entered prestigious public collections, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, part of the Smithsonian Institution.

As his international profile continues to grow, KeNof remains committed to exploring the intersections of tradition and contemporary creation. Through his work, he seeks to preserve, reinterpret, and transmit the visual and philosophical heritage of the Bamileke people while contributing to broader global conversations on culture, identity, and belonging. He continues to develop new bodies of work for upcoming exhibitions, including participation in a group exhibition at the Caen Memorial Museum in 2026.