In Cameroon We Know How to Shine Like Gold

Discover why Cameroonian architect Hermann Kamte thinks gold is the color of Cameroon

The Sky is Not the Limit II (Credit: Felix Fokoua) (2020) by Hermann KamteDesign Indaba

The Cameroonian dream

In his works The Sky is not the Limit I and II, Herman Kamte celebrates his country and the dreams and aspirations of its people. As he states "though subtle, there is a Cameroonian dream." and this dream manifests in different ways through different people.

The banana seller who will become an industrialist

"The child who wants to serve the nation" 

"the boy who will become an architect." 

These dreams are born out of inspiration drawn from what Herman describes as "the iconic figures of this nation who have allowed us to believe that the sky is not a limit."

The Sky is Not the Limit I (Credit: Felix Fokoua) (2020) by Hermann KamteDesign Indaba

The golden nation

In his The Sky is the Limit series, Herman reflects on his home country through the color of gold. A golden hue reflects from the sky onto the earth below it so that the land appears to shine like gold. 

Herman explains "choosing gold is also a question of telling a story. In reality, it is about revealing the daily magic of Cameroon through a color."

As Herman outlines "gold is the sun. It is the hope for a better life that shines in our eyes every morning of the week. The Cameroonian by essence likes to stand out as gold stands out from other elements of nature. 

Describing his country Herman states "in Cameroon we know how to shine like gold. Cameroon has a controversial, special and unique history. This, the “Golden Nation” project, is as close as possible to the Cameroonian reality in terms of its history, its glory, its failures." 

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