Joana Choumali Côte d’Ivoire, b. 1974

Overview

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. 

Download Artist's CV (PDF, opens in a new tab.)
Works
Untitled, 2018
Exhibitions
Biography

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.

Download Artist's CV (PDF, opens in a new tab.)
News
Press
Art Fairs