Atowla

Emerging contemporary artist Atowla Kouadio (born 1997 in Ivory Coast) questions in his works the power of pictorial portraiture on many levels, from the reproduction of historical and iconic images to the phenomenon of the social media age. 

Atowla's paintings resemble photographs - to achieve this he uses different techniques and materials for his predominantly realistic depictions of figure paintings and portraits. He combines oil with acrylic paint and marbling. This gives his paintings a unique character and great intensity, which is further emphasized by the use of bold colors.

The artist draws his inspiration from his own photos and from borrowed images, such as iconic photos of celebrities and political or historical figures from the African continent, but also from social platforms such as Instagram and photographic archives. Sometimes Atowla also refers in his portraits to the typical cliché of identity cards. His paintings are intense and impressively capture the person depicted.

Atowla Kouadio studied at the École Nationale des Beaux Arts in Abidjan and won the "Prix des Jeunes Artistes d'Avenir (JAA)" and the "Prix Paix et Environnement" in Abidjan in 2019. The artist has been chosen by the Peruvian government to exhibit his work in the summer of  2021 for the 200th anniversary of Peru's independence (28 July 1821). He was part of the group exhibition “Mouvement” at Galerie Melbye-Konan, organized in close collaboration with the French Consulate and the Institut français in Hamburg. A highlight of the event was the celebration of the French National Day 2024 at the gallery. With works already included in prestigious collections, he marked an important milestone early in his promising career.