01 · Reading Africa
African Art & Taste
The stories behind artworks, crafts and etiquette.
Motif: Korhogo cloth fish motif · 24 articles
- African Art & Taste4 min Abidjan's Modernist Architecture: La Pyramide, Hôtel Ivoire and the 1960s–70s After independence in 1960, Côte d'Ivoire saw a modernist building boom. Architects, dates and current state of La Pyramide and Hôtel Ivoire in Abidjan. Read
- African Art & Taste4 min Baoulé and Akan Gold Jewellery: The Role of Gold in Ritual and Identity Baoulé and Akan gold in Côte d'Ivoire as heirloom, ancestral memory and status — lost-wax casting, how families keep and display gold, and tips for buyers. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min Akan Brass Goldweights: How a Tool for Weighing Gold Dust Became Art Akan goldweights (abrammuo): lost-wax brass weights for gold dust from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire — use, history, weighing kit, what to look for, buying replicas. Read
- African Art & Taste4 min Buying Art and Crafts in Côte d'Ivoire: Authentication, Bargaining Etiquette and Export Documents — A Guide for Asian Collectors Buying carvings, masks or Korhogo cloth in Côte d'Ivoire? Antiques vs crafts, bargaining etiquette, cultural heritage export rules and export certificates. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min Aya de Yopougon: A Comic-Book Window onto 1970s Abidjan Aya de Yopougon, the French comic by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie, follows young people in 1970s Abidjan. Story, awards, animated film, reading tips. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min How to Look at a Baoulé Sculpture: Figures, Spirit Spouses (blolo bla / blolo bian) and the Aesthetics of Being Seen Baoulé (Baule) figure carving, a Côte d'Ivoire icon: what spirit spouse figures were for, Baoulé ideals of beauty, and how museums change the way we see them. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min Frédéric Bruly Bouabré: The Ivorian Artist Who Invented a Writing System Frédéric Bruly Bouabré (1923–2014), self-taught Ivorian Bété artist, created a script for the oral Bété language after a 1948 vision. His life, script, works. Read
- African Art & Taste4 min Dan Masks of Western Côte d'Ivoire: How to Appreciate Them and What to Know When Collecting (Respect and Legal Provenance) Dan masks of western Côte d'Ivoire: their meaning, roles such as Deangle, reading character from form, and respect and legal provenance when collecting. Read
- African Art & Taste4 min An introduction to Ivorian cinema: directors, films and festivals Ivorian cinema primer: Visages de femmes, Bal poussière, two FESPACO Golden Stallions, La Nuit des rois, key directors and local festivals. Read
- African Art & Taste4 min An Introduction to Ivorian Literature: Ahmadou Kourouma, Bernard Dadié and Their Key Works Where to start with Ivorian literature: Dadié, Kourouma and Véronique Tadjo, with key works, dates, prizes, English translations and a reading list. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min Ivorian Reggae: Alpha Blondy and Tiken Jah Fakoly Côte d'Ivoire is a hub of African reggae. Meet Alpha Blondy and Tiken Jah Fakoly: their lives, rise to fame, key albums, awards and multilingual singing. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min Korhogo Cloth: Animals and Stories Hand-Painted on Cotton by the Senufo Korhogo cloth: the Senufo painted textile of northern Côte d'Ivoire, on handwoven cotton with plant dyes. How it is made, motifs, fila roots and the market. Read
- African Art & Taste4 min MASA, Abidjan's Performing Arts Market: What It Is and Why It Matters MASA, the Abidjan performing arts market founded in 1993: its history, IN and OFF programmes, the 2026 14th edition, and its value for curators and promoters. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min The Museum of Civilisations of Côte d'Ivoire: Collections and What to Know Before You Visit Abidjan's Museum of Civilisations, founded in 1942: 15,200+ objects, from masks and gold weights to instruments, its renovation and the returned talking drum. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min Senufo Sculpture and the Poro Society: How to Appreciate It, and How to Respect It Senufo sculpture from northern Côte d'Ivoire and the Poro (lô) society: the name's origins, main object types, and the respect Poro objects call for. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min The Balafon: The Senufo Xylophone and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage The balafon, the Senufo xylophone: its structure, role in festivals and rites, transmission, and UNESCO listings in 2012 and with Indonesia's kolintang in 2024. Read
- African Art & Taste4 min Strip Weaving: Côte d'Ivoire's Hand-Woven Cloth Traditions (Baoulé, Senufo) and Their Link to Ghana's Kente How Baoulé and Senufo weavers in Côte d'Ivoire make narrow-strip cloth, the role of Dyula weavers and indigo ikat, and how it relates to Ghanaian kente. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min The Talking Drum Djidji Ayokwè: How France Returned It to Côte d'Ivoire The Ebrié (Atchan) talking drum Djidji Ayokwè, seized by France in 1916, returned to Côte d'Ivoire in 2026: its meaning, timeline and display plans. Read
- African Art & Taste4 min Uniwax and Côte d'Ivoire's Wax Print Industry Uniwax, the Abidjan wax print maker founded in 1967, printed for Dior and is listed on the BRVM: its history, fashion role, 2026 COIC takeover and challenges. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min The Origins of African Wax Print: the Netherlands, Indonesia and West African Markets African wax print began as Javanese batik, industrialised in Europe for West African markets: its timeline, pattern names and the rise of Asian makers. Read
- African Art & Taste4 min Wè (Guéré) Masks: a Mask Tradition of Western Côte d'Ivoire Wè (Guéré, Wobé) masks from western Côte d'Ivoire, known for horns, wide mouths and fangs: their role, main types, forms and respectful collecting. Read
- African Art & Taste4 min How to Care for and Display African Wood Sculpture: the Basics for Collectors How to display, clean and handle African wood carvings and masks: museum advice on humidity, temperature, light, placement, dusting, pests and handling. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min Zaouli: the Guro Mask Dance and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Zaouli, the Guro mask dance of central Côte d'Ivoire, UNESCO-listed since 2017: its meaning, how it is passed on, and how to watch and share respectfully. Read
- African Art & Taste3 min Zouglou: the Ivorian Music Born in University Halls of Residence Zouglou, born in 1990 in Abidjan's university halls, grew from student chants into a national genre: origins, roots, three generations and where to start. Read