This month, HISP Alum Gilbert Mbeng (MHP 2010) returned to his homeland of Cameroon to continue an on-going research and preservation project on the vernacular architecture of the Kom, the principle ethnic group of Cameroon’s Northwest Provence. The Mbainwol Initiative, a co-sponsored program with UMD’s Historic Preservation Program and an extension of Gilbert’s masters thesis, aims to preserve, educate and create a legacy of architectural heritage for the Kom people. Gilbert’s last visit in 2011 helped establish UMD’s first African satellite research office in Belo, which will operate as an outpost for fieldwork. Gilbert will be accomplishing much over his latest six-week visit; in addition to obtaining video footage for an upcoming documentary on the initiative, he will meet with His Royal Highness, The Fon—or King—of Kom, who has supported Gilbert’s research over the past five years. Gilbert’s work also supplements an on-going exhibit of the Kom people at the Seattle Art Museum, the largest collection of Kom art in the world.
View Gilbert's full report here.