Abidjan: Women and Femmes in Art

Collage by Zainab Floyd in 2022.

Last year in September, I travelled to Côte d'Ivoire as a part of my fellowship at the Studio Museum in Harlem. This essay is about my research project and my exploration of African diasporic art productions, curatorial projects and creative entrepreneurship particularly led by West-African women and femmes. I have sat on this research paper for a year and I am excited to share my writing. Through this research trip I have met influential artists, DJ’s, photographers and gallery owners. Thank you for your kindness and for opening your space for me to interview, learn, and write about your informative works. My intention was to discover creative spaces in Abidjan that were solely dedicated to women and femmes but in this discovery I came across a power house of African women and femmes who have contributed to the language and form of art, fashion and music. Thank you Mariette Kouame, Orianne, Hady Barry, Moone, Andrea, Anna Alix-Koffi, Magali Ohouens, Rosy Noah, Lafalsise Dion, Gazelle Guirandou, Kpingni, and  Zhedy Patchouli. I will be releasing my research paper in volumes. Thank you.

-Zainab Floyd, Founder and Artistic Director of Caribbean Archive.