Fernand Nonkouni

Fernand Nonkouni

Prologue | Biography | Video

Prologue

"Once you have gone through the valley of pain you know what you are capable of doing and achieving. There will be found a truth which will lead you to fields afar."

As evidence of his life, as transition from evil to good, the creative power revives the artist daily like time regained from childhood. Nonkouni's painting has its roots also in his disciplined will and in the reconciliation with his crual youth.

In the beginning he stands, then he bends over and lets the idea take form out of the substance. The next phase brings the message of his arising piece of art. Nonkouni has one aim only, to create what he received during the dark of the night.

Like an echo of his surrounds, like a naturalist who seeks accuracy, the painter covers his canvas with the primary colours: ochre for the earth, blue for sky and water and yellow as medium between shade and sunlight.

Nonkouni is a true son of Africa, embedded in the tradition of his country. He incorporates the multitude of all rituals he has deciphered into his world of thinking. His own words are:
"A painter grows forever and his message becomes simpler with time."

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Biography

Was born on 27th June, 1968 in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) as son of Burkinian parents. He lives and works in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

1994 - 1996	Training colleges and wokshops at the Centre Culturel Français "Georges Méliés" and Foundation Olorun, Ouagadougou

Participation in exhibitions
1994 - 1996	Centre Culturel Français, Ouagadougou
1996	Centre Culturel Américain, Ouagadougou Semaine de l'Art et de la Création Artistique, Centre Culturel Français, Ouagadougou
1997	Galery Farafina, Ouagadougou Design for the AIDS explanatory and preventions campaign, Ouagadougou

Participation in exhibitions
1995	Foundation Olorun, Kansas City (USA)
1996	"Espace Gaieté", Paris (France) Port-folio Galerie, Saint Louis (USA)
1997	Galery Schlumberger, Paris (France) Galery Arcane 21, Sauve-Nîmes (France)
1998	International meeting of artistes " ARLES 98" (France) Biennale "DAK'ART 98", Dakar (Senegal) "Alte Papierfabrik", Ebertsheim (Germany)
1999	Gallery ARTE, Dakar (Senegal) Citibank Duisburg (Germany)
2000	Neanderthal-Museum, Mettmann (Germany) Internationales Zentrum (IZ), Duisburg (Germany) Tanzhaus nrw die werkstatt, Düsseldorf (Germany)
2001	"Espace Noriac", Limoges (France) Sparkasse Essen-Rüttenscheid (Germany) Wohnstift Augustinum, Essen (Germany) Citibank Krefeld (Germany)
2002	KuBa Kunsthalle, Wolfenbüttel (Germany)
2003	Orangerie, Grugapark Essen (Germany) Viterra Energy Services GmbH & Co.KG, Münster (Germany)

Individual exhibitions
1996	Olorun America Gallery, Kansas City (USA)
1998	Arcane 21 Gallery, Sauve Nîmes (France) ZAKA Gallery, Ouagadougou
1999	"Espace du Cèdre" in Lauret (France) "Esperance" , on the occasion of children's day of UNICEF at the Foundation Olorun

Distinctions
1998	Award of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc. (New York, USA)

Biography Revue Noire No. 17

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