Gnass'Art - When Feminism Meets Panafrican Art
Who is Anne Judith Gnassa Kouassi?
Holder of a Literary Baccalaureate, Anne is a young artist from Yopougon, a vibrant neighborhood of Abidjan colloquially called Babi (pronounced Bah-Bee). She recently won a competition to join the Ivorian civil service. However, her true leitmotiv is art. From a very young age she has been satisfying an impulse to create art. Anne happens to be extremely shy.
“It’s easier for me to make a canvas speak than to entertain conversation with a person.”
Passionate about music, Anne listens to jazz, blues and gospel when she paints. One could extrapolate that these musical genres are permeated in her works.
But what above all makes her want to move, are the traditional African melodies.
She has an affinity for neutrality. As luck would have it, her favorite color is black...
“In our cultures, we only encourage people who succeed. That needs to change”
Self Love
“Before the nappy movement, women of african descent were not really encouraged to keep their natural hair. It was considered unclean and even filthy to keep your hair natural in school. ”
Mama Faso
“I’ve never seen my mother leave the house with her natural hair. There is always something in it, on it or covering it.”
Lettres Desencrees
“They put us in school, we chase degrees and then chase jobs in unemployment.”
Suspended Solace
“In my daily walks I realize that there is a lot of talent and potential here but it remains raw and unrefined. We are not doing a service to our talents. They are misused.”
Black Noire
“You can do anything with that color. It can be morbid, but it can also be full of life. It all depends on how you use it. It depends on the story you tell. Even devoid of light, this color is beautiful.”
“Self Love” Evolution:
Creation of a masterpiece
“My favorite artist? Those women who make Africa. The pioneers who carved wood. These ancestors who have no fame in museums, but who make African art what it is.”
Effluents of the past
“If we were able to unleash these talents early on, and if we were able to guide them in the right areas, it could really make a difference.”
Samara Samba
“If I had all the means at my disposal I would do for others what others have not been able to do for me. They did not know how to unleash the talent within me in my youth.”
