JEAN-BAPTISTE DJÉKA
Ivory CoastFor dextrous Côte d’Ivoire painter and sculptor Jean-Baptiste Djéka Kouadio, the influence of West African Akan culture on his work is an intense and tangible expression of how the matrilineal tradition has shaped his life and indeed his view of the world. The Akan culture arose in the 13th century and has played an enormous role in craft and artistic development in West Africa and both its aesthetic and inherited belief system play a significant role in many West Africans’ and certainly in this artist’s life.
Using a combination of techniques and visual cues, from brushwork to scarification and bemasked figures and a selection of materials including acrylic resin, oil, natural pigment and collage, Djéka is able to convey the complexity of his subject matter and the weight and narrative of generations past, a subject close to his heart. At the same time he offers a permanent reflection and a challenge to the viewer regarding the meaning and wonder of traditional symbolism in a modern world. Central to Djéka’s artistic premise is what he sees as an inevitable meeting point and mutation of cultures with the result that a visceral sense of shared humanity emanates from each and every potent artwork.
First exhibition with Christopher Moller Gallery - 2022.
Text courtesy Christopher Moller Gallery.
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