Ange-Arthur Koua was born in 1989 in Abidjan, where he lives and works. Originally from Abobo, one of Abidjan’s neighborhoods—Ange-Arthur tells us that what he wants to communicate in his work is the desire to “express oneself freely and to defend causes that aren’t priorities for others.” As a result, from the start of Ange-Arthur’s formal training in a painting studio, the student felt trapped by the use of paint as a medium. “I want to be free to touch, to use any and everything that I want—all that matters is that my inner self is satisfied.” His dedication to this quest has led him to an esthetic of mixed media, combining paint and textile. In his work “universal chaos” –an assemblage built on a base of recycled jeans and bags—everything is placed, he says, by instinct. He paints, dirties, burns, glues, sews—and realizes dynamic pieces that tell exceptional stories.
The exhibit “MANsonges” has given Ange-Arthur Koua the opportunity to explore in his “tapestries” the idea that lived experience takes place in two worlds, on the border between the visible and the invisible; his work is inspired by the belief, common in in eastern Côte d’Ivoire, that the souls of the deceased linger on in their clothing. He also offers us a series of works on paper, images of faces that explore the universe of masks and statuary.