Information
Landmark: Galerie Cécile FakhouryCity: Abidjan
Country: Cote d-Ivoire
Continent: Africa
Galerie Cécile Fakhoury, Abidjan, Cote d-Ivoire, Africa
Overview
Galerie Cécile Fakhoury stands among West Africa’s most influential hubs for contemporary art, where bold colors spill from canvases and ideas spark in every corner.Since opening its doors in 2012 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the gallery has helped shape and champion contemporary African art, from bold street murals to striking gallery installations.It’s part of a new wave of spaces devoted to artistic brilliance and lively cultural conversation, where a gallery wall might hum with voices in more than one language.First.The gallery sits in Abidjan’s upscale Cocody district, where embassies rise behind tall gates, elegant villas line the streets, and cultural landmarks add color to the neighborhood.The gallery sits inside a sleek, purpose-built space, its minimalist walls unfolding across roughly 600 square meters.The architecture favors clean lines, wide-open spaces, and sunlight spilling across the floor, letting the art command attention.The grounds are framed by neat, well-tended gardens, and now and then a peacock wanders past, its feathers catching the sunlight, adding to the calm, immersive cultural atmosphere.Step two.Cécile Fakhoury, a Franco-Lebanese gallerist and the gallery’s founder, has played a vital role in bringing African artists into the global spotlight, often carrying their work from vibrant local studios to international exhibition halls.Our mission is simple: we showcase bold, contemporary art from West and Central Africa, from vivid street scenes to striking abstract forms.We’re building a polished stage where African artists can share their work-from bustling Lagos markets to galleries abroad-and reach audiences both at home and around the world.Fostering conversations between African art and the wider world of creativity, where a carved wooden mask can spark ideas across continents.Building a sustainable art market across the continent, where local galleries thrive and canvases smell faintly of fresh paint.Number three.Aboudia, from Côte d’Ivoire, creates raw, layered paintings that fuse graffiti, symbolism, and traditional African motifs, capturing the pulse of everyday life in Abidjan with splashes of color and tangled lines.François-Xavier Gbré, from Côte d’Ivoire and France, captures Africa’s shifting cityscapes and traces of post‑colonial architecture, from crumbling facades to freshly poured concrete.Jems Koko Bi, a sculptor from Côte d’Ivoire, works mainly in wood, carving pieces that delve into memory, migration, and history.Ouattara Watts, from Côte d’Ivoire and now based in the U. S., creates mixed-media pieces that weave African spirituality into the pulse of modern art-bright fabrics brushing against bold strokes of paint.Dalila Dalléas Bouzar, an artist with roots in both Algeria and France, explores identity, memory, and women’s lives in the shadow of post‑colonial history, painting scenes as vivid as a red scarf fluttering in the wind.Roméo Mivekannin, from Benin and France, blends photography with fabric, using each piece to challenge colonial stories and reframe the faces of history.The gallery hosts solo shows, curated group exhibitions, and themed displays-sometimes with a splash of bright color catching your eye as you walk in.It often works alongside international curators and institutions, diving into African identity, tracing diasporic ties, and examining decolonial aesthetics-like the bold colors woven into traditional fabrics.Many exhibitions feature books you can leaf through, lively talks with the artists, and events open to everyone.Number four.International Reach and Expansion Dakar Gallery: In 2018, the gallery opened a bright new space in Dakar, Senegal, a bustling cultural hub where music drifts through the streets and art fills the cafés.Paris Showroom: In 2018, they opened a private space in Paris, welcoming European collectors and curators with soft lighting and polished oak floors.Paris Exhibition Space: In 2021, a full gallery opened in Paris’s 8th arrondissement at 104 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, its tall windows and street-front doors adding weight to the brand’s growing global reach.Regularly takes part in major art fairs like Art Basel, The Armory Show, FIAC, and the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, where the air buzzes with conversation and the scent of fresh paint lingers.These events carry African art onto the world’s biggest stages, sparking curiosity abroad and driving sales-like a vivid mask catching the eye under bright gallery lights.Five.The gallery isn’t just a place to buy art-it’s a lively cultural hub, sometimes buzzing with artist-led workshops and youth programs where paintbrushes clatter in jars.Talks and Lectures: Hosts lively discussions on modern African art and society, from bold new painting styles to shifting cultural trends.Community Engagement: Sparks conversations with neighbors, students, and up‑and‑coming artists, whether over coffee or in a bustling gallery.Publishing creates catalogs and essays that deepen research on African art, from richly illustrated exhibition books to thoughtful curator notes.Number six.Visiting Experience Atmosphere: The room feels calm and thoughtful, with a quiet professionalism that settles like soft light on the walls.The gallery staff know their stuff and are usually around to walk you through the pieces-sometimes pointing out a brushstroke or detail you might’ve missed.We’re usually open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.-you might catch the smell of fresh coffee drifting out as the doors open.You might need to book an appointment if you want a guided tour, especially when spots fill up fast.Accessibility: The gallery sits right in the heart of the city, easy to reach by car or taxi whether you’re coming from the bustling market or any corner of Abidjan.Seven.At Galerie Cécile Fakhoury, African art carries weight-it’s not just a gallery, but a vibrant bridge linking the rhythms of Africa to the wider world.With its dedication to African voices, a deep sense of history, and uncompromising artistry, it stands as a cornerstone of culture in Côte d’Ivoire-echoing far beyond, like a drumbeat that carries across the hills.Art lovers, collectors, scholars, and anyone drawn to the vivid, ever-changing story of contemporary African art will find it irresistible-a place where colors hum and ideas spark.
