In light of the prevailing circumstances, it is imperative to temporarily suspend our hasty progression through time and meticulously examine the actions and behaviors of the African population in the context of collective mental health. By interrogating the underlying motivations of our actions, we can initiate a process of comprehension regarding the survival mechanisms that have been developed in response to a history of oppression and struggle.
Jean-Luc Konkobo, born in 2002 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, is of Ivorian and Burkinabe descent. From an early age, he was confronted with questions surrounding mixed heritage, multiple identities, and multiculturalism. Still a student in architecture, he began working with photography in 2022 as a self-taught artist, launching his first series entitled Transe.
Jean-Luc Konkobo’s photographs, rich in diverse references, unfold as visual narratives that weave from one image to the next within each series. Through the use of digital tools, he sharpens his vision on the world, exploring notions of identity and one’s place within the broader African context.
His work addresses intergenerational themes — such as the evolution of African societies and the rapid pace of urbanization — within a distinctive aesthetic universe that contributes to reshaping the boundaries of photography.
For the Découvertes #7 exhibition, Konkobo presents his new series, Apocalypse, directly inspired by Les Fous d’Abidjan, an iconic 1994 body of work by Ivorian photographer Dorris Haron Kasco.
Recipient of the BJKD Art Prize in 2022, Jean-Luc Konkobo has been shortlisted for the prestigious Prix Pictet in 2025.
The artist lives and works in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.