Kobena

KOBENA

An Akan name, originating from the peoples of southern Ivory Coast and Ghana, is given according to the day of birth. Born on a Tuesday in Paris, he became Kobena. What sealed this choice was its unexpected resonance with certain Japanese pronouns: in a single word, his two artistic worlds converge.

His practice began with portraits, mostly of women, rendered in earthy tones. This became his signature. His travels in Asia revealed profound similarities with Africa, and it became natural for him to weave these two worlds together in a single vision.

A SILENT DIALOGUE

STRENGTH & PEACE, UNITED

Painting is a therapeutic space for him, a zone of expression he doesn't always find elsewhere. He discovers each face by painting it, like getting to know someone. In the end, he gives it a name that comes to him in the moment.

He seeks portraits that convey strength in the gaze and gentleness in the attitude: two qualities that are thought to be opposites, and which, held together, become something whole.