Paris, 25 January 2015

The Musée du Quai Branly in Paris will unveil over 200 years of West African artistic creation in its upcoming exhibition “Côte d’Ivore Master Sculptors”, which is to take place from 14 April to 26 July 2015.

Close to 200 historic and contemporary works assembled by curators Eberhard Fischer and Lorenz Homberger will be exhibited in the Galerie Jardin, a space dedicated to temporary displays which was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. Encompassing a wide range of works from the retrospective to the forward-looking, the exhibition invites viewers to discover the aesthetic attraction and originality of 19th and early 20th century artists and workshops, whilst introducing them to a new generation of African artists.

The exhibitions eschews the notion of African art as a purely artisanal activity, allowing visitors to familiarise themselves with the geographical and cultural context of works, whilst highlighting the stylistic variety of the different workshops. Featured in the exhibition are statues created by master sculptors from the Dan ethnic group, in addition to works by the members of the Baoulé, Senoufo and We groups. Additionally, there will be a cross-disciplinary room dedicated to the different techniques employed by these artists.

It seems that “Côte d’Ivoire Master Sculptors” will shed light on an long over-looked artistic tradition, exploring the rich history of West African sculpture alongside innovative contemporary works.