"We promised ourselves the cosmos. Like a promise to ourselves" (2026)

"We promised ourselves the cosmos. Like a promise to oneself" is a large-scale mixed-media artwork on textile canvas by artist and metaphysician Gaëlle Étémé. The work continues her exploration of the depths of the inner landscape and the mythology through which the notion of space can reveal itself as both a fictional and speculative dimension. Working without composition or script, but in a purely instinctive way inspired by her calligraphic practice, Taoism, and the oral tradition of her native Cameroon, which lives within her like a faceless word, the artist offers here a monumental work in which the self dissolves into a blue ocean of discreet calligraphic signs, and in the firmament of which emerges, as if with urgency, the cosmological phantom of a golden, almost flamboyant persona resembling a tiger. The artist says that the tiger is the manifestation of space for her, the promise of a dream to be explored. For her, the tiger is an manifestation of the heavens. It flies. Built using an experimental "damp effect" technique where the textile canvas is soaked in wet colors, resembling fabric dyeing combined with painting. Oil application: Applied in upper layers during a trance-like creative state after the acrylic foundation. Text and finishing: Concluded with handwriting and oil pastel marks as the final stage of the narrative. This artwork by Gaëlle Étémé features a densely layered abstract composition using India ink, oil paint, and acrylics. Dominated by shades of gray, black, ochre, and vivid red accents, the textured surface reveals intertwined lines and strokes that suggest spontaneous writing and fluid movement. The irregular, unframed support enhances the organic and adventurous nature of the piece, encouraging viewers to engage in a deep visual exploration without a defined narrative.