In a dynamic move to celebrate local creativity, LouiSimone Guirandou Gallery organizes an annual group show entitled “Découvertes”. This event highlights promising young Ivorian artists, embodying the future of contemporary African art. For its sixth edition, “Découvertes #6”, the gallery is the privileged witness to the work of four remarkable talents: Claire Marboeuf, Ismael Tamek, Juju Lago and Klervie Mouho. Until August 31, visitors will have the opportunity to immersively explore their innovative artistic practices.
These artists, whether native or resident of Ivory Coast, stand out for their ability to transcend their everyday lives. They immerse themselves in an environment that, at times tumultuous, challenges their beliefs and nourishes their inspiration. Art then becomes a powerful vector of creation and expression, offering each of them an envelope in which to sketch a Ivory Coast imprinted with their unique vision. Through photography, visual arts and painting, these artists unveil new and captivating perspectives of their region in “Découvertes #6”. Immerse yourself in the fascinating universe of these emerging talents on the contemporary African art scene.
Claire Marboeuf
A self-taught photographer and visual artist, Claire Marboeuf redefines the photographic medium with warm, vibrant images enriched by unusual elements. Born in France, her career took her successively to Morocco, then Ghana, before settling in Ivory Coast. She made her photographic debut in 2017, during an outing with Abidjan’s Flash collective, where she began to offer a vision far removed from conventional images. After capturing moments in black and white, Claire Marboeuf embarks on a second phase of creation, that of metamorphosis, which gives life to her works.
Claire Marboeuf enriches her photographs with new elements, integrating paint, loincloths and various materials found in her environment. Her shots take on a unique, immersive panoramic allure, playfully evoking a vibrant, warm humanity. Through her many travels, she transcribes the richness of the places she explores, the bustle of major metropolises, shared moments and social spaces. “I take photos like painting a picture”, she declares. With “Découvertes #6”, the contemporary artist offers a colorful tour of the world.From New York to Abidjan, Claire Marbœuf breathes life, relief and color into her work, reflecting the vitality of the inhabitants of these bustling cities.
Ismael Tamek
In his art practice, Ismael Tamek turns his canvases into a captivating visual narrative. An Ivorian-Togolese artist since 1988, he took up painting in 2012, opting for an experimental, immersive approach. Wishing to offer a profound visual experience, he employs a diverse creative process, ranging from sanding and collage to scraping and washing. He also deliberately subjects his canvases to the vagaries of the weather, allowing them to evolve and flourish, while revealing striking aspects of daily routine.
Inspired by the challenges faced by those around him, his works are imbued with the difficulties experienced, while exuding a hint of hope materialized by the protective shadows that accompany the silhouettes – heroines both comforting and symbols of resilience. Ismael Tamek made his debut on the art scene in 2014 in Togo, and has seen his work presented in several countries, including Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and, of course, Ivory Coast.
Lago Juju
A committed photographer, Lago Juju chooses to focus on the condition of people with albinism, offering a voice to this often marginalized community. Born in 1996 in Douala, Ivory Coast, he grew up in a family affected by albinism, bearing close witness to the prejudices that weigh on this group, often perceived as the bearer of a curse rather than a simple genetic phenomenon. Subjected to superstition, socio-economic and health challenges, as well as the dangers of the sun’s rays, albinos often live in a society that is difficult to include.
Through her lens, Lago Juju shares a renewed vision of albino populations. Her series of studio portraits highlight their beauty and pride, challenging the harmful beliefs that surround them. Thanks to a meticulous aesthetic, her portraits become powerful tools for reinforcing the visibility of albinos in the public space and promoting positive models of identification. After starting out in advertising photography, Lago Juju turned to artistic photography. A finalist in the BJKD competition in 2023, he was also selected for the Africa Foto Fair in Abidjan that same year.
Klervie Mouho
In “Découvertes #6”, Klervie Mouho plunges us into an atmosphere of pure nostalgia with her unique paintings, characterized by soft, vibrant colors. A Franco-Ivorian artist and graphic designer, she grew up in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, before graduating in Fine Arts from the École supérieure des beaux-arts d’Angers (TALM) in 2021, followed by a Master’s degree in Visual Communication from the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK – Zurich University of the Arts) in 2023. Her oil pastel paintings feature abstract figures that are constantly reinvented.
Klervie Mouho is inspired by photographs unearthed from her family album or the infinite gallery of her cell phone. Through recurring figures, such as a young girl in a white dress, soldiers and young children, she weaves stories in which images repeat themselves without ever resembling each other. In her works, the boundary between the real and the imaginary becomes blurred, evoking memories that are both moving and hazy, reflecting collective memories of an era in Côte d’Ivoire marked by socio-political conflict, while also incorporating more personal experiences. Klervie Mouho’s work has been recognized by the ZHdK, which awarded her the ZHdK 2023 Fund for International and Intercultural Student Projects, as well as second place in the Förder 2023 Prize.