On Wednesday 15 May 2019, we officially held the opening night of the art exhibition featuring Blueprint Africa artists at Royal Work Club (RWC) Abidjan.
If you haven’t heard, Royal Work Club (RWC) Abidjan is a new coworking space located in Plateaux, the business district of the capital city. With its stunning views onto lagoon Ebrie and its sleek interior design, RWC also hosts various events for its exclusive members only clientele, including the their art gallery concept which BPA had the pleasure to implement.
I (pictured above in the middle) am an indefatigable hunter of African talent and presented two Blueprint Africa artists to a crowd of over 100 invitees: Justin Oussou and Michael Tetteh. While Justin Oussou holds over 30 years of experience exhibiting his works in Abidjan, the dynamic Michael Tetteh, creator of beautiful recycled glass vases and vessels was participating in his very first exhibition in Cote d’Ivoire.
Justin Oussou is a prolific Ivorian painter, born in 1965 in the region of Anyama. His works have been widely exhibited throughout the years in the country and abroad. He is definitely a fan favorite! During the night, he gave brief remarks highlighting the link between man and nature, specifically some of the abusive and nefarious impacts of man on the environment. This was the message and inspiration behind his latest collection Forces of Nature, his reflective statement of the romantic but sometimes tenuous relationship between humans and earth.
Michael Tetteh (works pictured below), on the other hand is an emerging Ghanaian glass sculptor born in 1977. His blown glass artworks bringing rich color and skill to an age-old craft.
Micheal focused primarily on glass bead making, jewelry and adornment before being introduced to the trade of glass blowing. Through his love of innovation, Michael strives to combine his respect for his chosen material – glass – with his pursuit of creativity and craftsmanship, focusing on recycling and sustainability in his practice. Seen as a more industrial product in Africa, Michael Tetteh shows the expressive side of glass using broken bottles, broken louver blades and discarded television screen and other glass waste as his primary ingredients. Retailing at only CFA 30,000 a piece, much to their delight, many attendees were able to offer themselves one of his magnificent works! Nine vessels sold on opening night.
The artists’ works shall be available for sale at RWC until the end of June 2019. Do not miss your chance to bring home one of of these wonderful pieces of art!
For more pictures of the night, click here. All images are provided by Studio 54 for RWC.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
