From 24 November 2023 to 24 January 2024, the Ateliers Coffi in Fidjrossè, Cotonou will be hosting an exhibition highlighting traditional values and the importance of preserving them in maintaining social order and family cohesion. Entitled “Éclats d’âmes, regards croisés“, this collective presentation by Charbel Coffi and Dodji Efoui will give art lovers the opportunity to discover the artistic practice of these two contemporary artists, as well as the importance of African culture in maintaining social values.
Born in Cotonou, Charbel Coffi has been passionate about art and drawing since his earliest childhood. The profession of artist then appeared to him as an obvious one where in the materialization of his know-how, he interprets the role of an awakener of conscience. The Beninese artist invites the public to explore his multi-dimensional universe, with his works as the protagonists, mirroring his unique vision of the world. His deep passion for this creative discipline leads him to express his spirituality, the source of inspiration for his artistic projects, with fervour and eloquence.
Like his exhibition partner, Dodji Efoui has nurtured his passion for art since childhood. Born into a family of artists, he was exposed to the world of artistic innovation from an early age, developing a keen interest in drawing and music. At the same time, he took up painting and took part in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Burkina Faso, Togo, Nigeria, Benin and Ghana. His five-year stay in Cameroon was a period rich in learning, allowing him to explore various sound universes and immerse himself in ‘world music‘, while initiating the ‘Lutherie Urbaine‘ project. This project is a continuation of his artistic practice based on recycling. As a Togolese visual artist, Dodji Efoui uses recycled objects to create original works of art.
The “Éclats d’âmes, regards croisés” exhibition was born of the two artists’ observation that certain traditional values are gradually being lost. This discovery is just one of the many consequences of the lack of unity within the societies that make up the world. Taking a remedial approach, Charbel Coffi and Dodji Efoui use their art to propose an example of sacred union, encouraging the reconstitution of these lost values. The works in the exhibition are like pleas: stop demonising everything when it comes to our African cultures!
Today, many families in Benin and Togo regard African masks and portraits of the dead, which were once landmarks and authority figures encouraging wisdom and self-control, as obscure objects. Discredited and in decline, these masks and portraits were originally essential foundations for a solid cultural education, guaranteeing an informed generation educated in the rites and values intrinsic to their origins.
The abandonment of these cultural landmarks and values has many repercussions on today’s society, the most glaring of which is the lack of respect for elders. In the past, bowing when greeting the elderly was considered a profound sign of respect, a gesture that has unfortunately disappeared from our societies. To call rude people to order in Benin, the following Fon phrase is often used: “Ado minho sin photo do houégbé atché?”, which translates into French as “Don’t you have any photos of adults at home?
“Éclats d’âmes, regards croisés” by Charbel Coffi and Dodji Efoui goes beyond this world where everything seems crucified on the cross of religion and abandoned on the motorway of modernity, to encourage us to wake up collectively. With his mastery of colours, shapes, textures and natural pigments, Charbel Coffi constructs a visual language around this theme that transcends the limits of simple representation and invites spectators to enter a universe where ancestral cultures regain the right to exist.
As for Dodji Efoui, in his representation of traditional values, his artistic gesture consists of putting composite elements into action, in order to bring back from the everyday bodies-landscapes, bodies-writings, sound bodies, vibratory entities, humans in their carnal and spiritual dimensions, all intrinsic to African culture and all perfectly at home in a world that is striving to forget their profound presence of yesteryear.
Curated by Dénadi Carole Sagbo, the exhibition “Éclats d’âmes, regards croisés” will run from 24 November 2023 to 24 January 2024. A preview session is scheduled for 23 November 2023, giving a select few collectors and art lovers the opportunity to admire the captivating world of Charbel Coffi and Dodji Efoui, through their exceptional artistic creations.