Maurice Mboa creates faceless portraits in wild, natural landscapes. Instead of showing physical details, his works invite us to feel the inner spirit of his subjects.
A unique force in contemporary portraiture, Maurice Mboa crafts mysterious figures that channel ancestral memory and spiritual presence.
Born in Cameroon, Mboa is a self-taught artist currently based in Geneva,Switzerland. His work focuses on the invisible energies that shape human identity. Known for his faceless figures—what he calls “soul prints”—Mboa invites viewers to look beyond the physical form. Inspired by animist beliefs and early teachings from his grandmother, a traditional healer, his practice connects body and soul, nature and spirit. Mboa engraves dark steel panels using a custom glass tool, then paints over them with vibrant colors. His motifs often resemble natural elements, like leaves or branches, and express the movement of energy across living bodies.
Mboa’s works have been exhibited in institutions and fairs across Europe and the Middle East, including Art Genève, Pace Gallery, and the NassimaLandau Foundation in Tel Aviv, which published a monograph on his work.
