Obou Gbais

Obou Gbais, born in Côte d’Ivoire, lives and works in Abidjan and Berlin. On canvases as well as on walls, Obou regularly paints scenes from everyday life, women sitting together, people dancing together or living together in so-called bidonvilles. What they all have in common are the masks they wear. The Yacoubas are known in West Africa for their mask art and sculpting skills. Influenced by this culture, Obou integrates his identity and traditions into his works, which is his signature. Obou draws masks and is himself the mask.