Joana Choumali Côte d’Ivoire, b. 1974
Joana Choumali, (b. 1974), is a visual artist/photographer based in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. She studied graphic arts in Casablanca (Morocco) and worked as an art director in an advertising agency before embarking on her photography career. She works mainly on conceptual portraits, mixed media and documentary photography. Much of her work focuses on Africa, and what she, as an African, learns about the innumerable cultures around her.
In her latest works, Joana embroiders directly on the images completing the act of creating the photograph image with a slow and meditative gesture.
-
Self- Identity In The Face Of The Global Pandemic
London 22 Apr - 12 May 2021Gallery 1957, London marks their third exhibition with a group show of new works by five artists: Joana Choumali (b.1974), Danielle De Jesus (b.1987), Shania McCoy (b.1993), Nabeeha Mohamed (b.1988)...Read more -
Joana Choumali & Godfried Donkor
Accra, Gallery I 10 Jan - 15 Feb 2020Joana Choumali, born in 1974, is visual artist/photographer based in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. She studied graphic arts in Casablanca (Morocco) and worked as an art director in an advertising agency...Read more -
Joana Choumali-How Do You Spell A Silent Sound
Accra, Gallery I 24 Aug - 5 Oct 2019This August, Gallery 1957 (Accra) presents a solo exhibition by the award-winning Ivorian photographer and mixed media artist Joana Choumali, running from 24 August- 5 October 2019. Presenting new and...Read more
Joana has exhibited her work at the Museum of Civilizations-Abidjan, the Donwahi Foundation for Contemporary Art-Abidjan, at the Rotonde des Arts Contemporary Art Center - Abidjan, at the Vitra Design Museum-Basel, at the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden- Marrakech, at the Museum of photography -St Louis, Senegal, at the Tropen Musuem –Amsterdam at the International Photography Biennale of Bamako, at the Photoquai Biennale (Quai Branly Museum- Paris), at the Lagos Photo Festival, and PhotoVogue festival. In 2014, she won the CapPrize Award and the 2014 Emerging Photographer LensCulture Award. In 2016, she received the Magnum Emergency Grant Foundation, and the Fourthwall Books Award in South Africa. In 2017, she exhibited her series "Translation" and "Adorn" at the Pavilion of the Ivory Coast during the 57th Venice International Biennale. Her latest mixed media series Alba'hian is exhibited at the Zeitz Mocaa Museum of Contemporary Arts-Capetown. On November 13th 2019 she is the first African winner of the Eight Prix Pictet for her series "Ça va aller " ("It will be ok") on this cycle’s theme of Hope.
Her work has been published in the international press: CNN, New York Times, Washington Post, El Pais (Spain), Le Monde, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Harper Bazaar Art, Le Temps (Switzerland), La Stampa, The Internazionale (Italy) etc. Her book "HAABRE", was published and edited in Johannesburg in 2016.
She had her work included in the 2021 Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London curated by Yinka Shonibare.
-
Four photographs from Joana Choumali's series 'Ca va Aller' to enter Victoria and Albert Museum permanent collection
3 May 2022 -
Joana Choumali in the 2021 Summer Exhibition
Royal Academy of Arts, London 16 Sep 2021Gallery 1957 is delighted to announce that work by Joana Choumali has been selected for the 2021 Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts...Read more -
Godfried Donkor and Joana Choumali at Gallery 1957
28 Jun 2021This weekend British-Ghanaian artist Godfried Donkor’s solo exhibition Battle Royale: Last Man Standing - Part 1 opens at Gallery 1957. Created over the artist’s seven-month...Read more -
Godfried Donkor and Joana Choumali show with Gallery 1957 at 1-54, London, 3-6 October
25 Jun 2021Gallery 1957 participates for a fourth year running at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, held at Somerset House in London, from 3 - 6 October....Read more
-
Gideon Appah and Joana Choumali at MACAAL, Marrakech
25 Jun 2021Gallery 1957 artists Joana Choumali and Gideon Appah are currently on show as part of 'Welcome Home' at MACAAL, Marrakech. The exhibition showcases new acquisitions...Read more -
Joana Choumali Wins the 2019 Prix Pictet Photography Award
25 Jun 2021Gallery 1957 is delighted to announce that Joana Choumali has been awarded the 2019 Prix Pictet photography prize; the first African photographer to scoop the...Read more
-
Joana Choumali in conversation
Lydia Caston, Victoria and Albert Museum, 29 May 2022 -
In This Joana Choumali Work, a Dreamy, Swallow-Filled Sky
Alwa Cooper, New York Times, 8 Apr 2022 -
Gallery 1957 Heralds a New Era for West African Artists on Their Own Terms
Charlotte Jansen, Artsy, 15 Dec 2020 -
A Stitch in Time
Sean O’Hagan, The Observer, 11 Oct 2020 -
African Connections: Artists to Watch at 1-54 and Frieze Masters
Rebecca Anne Proctor, Ocula, 8 Oct 2020 -
Each Stitch was a way to recover
Tom Seymour, Royal Photographic Society Magazine, 1 Sep 2020 -
Ghana leads African charge in Miami
Anna O’Sullivan, Financial Times, 6 Dec 2019 -
Joana Choumali wins 2019 Prix Pictet photography prize
Sean O’Hagan, The Guardian, 13 Nov 2019 -
Ivorian photographer is first African to win Prix Pictet
James Pickford, Financial Times, 13 Nov 2019 -
Joana Choumali : « Alba’hian », le jour se lève sur Abidjan
The Art Momentum, 21 Oct 2019 -
Joana Choumali’s art reimagines life in Accra and Abidjan at daybreak
Daphne Milner, It's Nice That, 7 Oct 2019 -
Joana Choumali
Emma Gilhooly, Nataal, 27 Sep 2019 -
Gallery 1957 at Unseen Amsterdam with solo booth from Joana Choumali, 20-22 September 2019
VERÓNICA LÓPEZ, Martin Cid Magazine, 11 Sep 2019 -
Joana Choumali Reimagines Life in African Cities
Elephant, 10 Sep 2019 -
Voices of African photography: ‘Transforming the image of our continent’
Olivier Laurent, The Washington Post, 1 Oct 2018 -
African art market comes to Africa
Melanie Gerlis, Financial Times, 2 Mar 2018
-
Art x Lagos 2021
4 - 7 Nov 2021For our fifth time participating to Art x Lagos, we present an incredible group of contemporary painters hailing from Nigeria, Ghana and the USA.Read more -
1-54 Paris 2021
20 - 23 Jan 2021Gallery 1957 participates for a fifth year running at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, held at Christie's salesroom in Paris, 20 – 23 January 2021....Read more -
Art Dubai 2020
25 - 28 Mar 2020Gallery 1957 is excited to be back to Art Dubai from the 25th–28th March 2020 with Prix Pictet 2019 winner, Joana Choumali. We will be...Read more