Obou Gbais, was born in 1992 in Guiglo in western Ivory Coast. Passionate about drawing and painting since his early childhood, he joined the Lycée d’Enseignement Artistique in Abidjan. He obtains his Bachelor in 2012 and entered the National School of Fine Arts in Abidjan where he specialized in painting. Victim of trauma following the 2002 post election crisis, Obou dedicates his artistic creation to the theme of the human condition, life in the slums. Obou testifies about his experiences in the precarious neighborhood that opened his arms when he was fleeing the war. His work shows the human warmth and the living together that manifests itself in these low districts of Abidjan. His characters are all inspired by the masks of his region, the Dan masks For Obou, the slum is the story of a city, the story of many lives written not in torment but in the hope of a winning ending.
"The slum is the story of a city, the story of many lives written not in torment but in the hope of a winning ending." - Peintre Obou
Curriculum
2017 «Système D» TART Gallery, Zurich / Switzerland.
2017 Sofitel, Hôtel Ivoire, Abidjan.
2018 Casse Bleue, Grand-Bassam.
2018 «Redonnez une chance à la vie» à la Rotonde des Arts Contemporains, Plateau Abidjan.
2019 ART TIME, Abidjan.
2019 Louis Simone Guirandou Gallery, Cocody Abidjan.
2020 Iwalwahaus, Bayreuth / Germany.
2020 Mainoeuvre Gallery, Berlin / Germany.
2020 Wetsi Art Gallery, Brussels / Belgium.
2020 B Lounge Art, Mövenpick Hotel, Geneva / Switzerland.
2020 Rennes Enchères, Rennes / France.
"His work shows the human warmth and the living together that manifests itself in these low districts of Abidjan. His characters are all inspired by the masks of his region, the Dan masks."
