Méné Ivory Coast, b. 1977

Graduated from INSAAC (the School of Fine Arts in Abidjan) and certified as an art teacher at a high school in the outskirts, Méné follows his path, without unnecessary noise, but with perseverance and talent.

He has showcased his works around the world for almost twenty years, from Abidjan to Paris, Dakar, the United States, and Spain, and his success has never shaken his composure. His emotions are reserved for painting, where he channels the full expression of his personality.

Painting is the main, if not exclusive, focus of his work, and he has managed to renew his style without ever losing his identity or signature. While his technique evolves in a constant search, human beings and nature remain central to his concerns. Influenced by rock art, his work continually explores human nature and all its components, visible and invisible. He draws from the past to better understand the present. His work aims to continue an ancient civilization enriched by modernism. Sketched in a deceptively clumsy manner, these silhouettes, which might be thought to be drawn by a child, possess both the freshness of children's artwork and the depth of an adult's accomplished work, confronted with the world as it is—or rather as it is not.

There is no unnecessary discourse; the artist is not loquacious, and his work speaks for him. For him, art represents a language of the heart that allows him to remember, to exist, and to project into the future. This vision guides his artistic approach, leading him to minimal forms and color sobriety. The artist challenges us and offers his work as a mirror to see our wounds, both of the body and of the soul. This is the strength of Ange Méné, a serene strength that is nevertheless haunted by anxiety, which he initially conceals, revealing it only to those who know how to see beyond appearances, to where his steps lead him. Why not follow him with confidence and respect?

Original text by Sylvain Sankalé