Rafiy Okefolahan was born on January 7, 1979 in Porto Novo (Benin). rafiy draws its creative force from the cultural turmoil of Africa. A nomadic artist, his career took him from Togo to Nigeria and various West African countries, as well as to Paris, Liège and Barcelona. Rafiy's paintings bear witness to a sincere love, unwavering for his country, but tinged with revolt. He denounces the aberrations of Beninese society, such as “suicide bombers” (motorcyclists who transport gasoline from Nigeria) or persistent illiteracy, as well as the upheavals linked to the massive arrival of new technologies. "In the manner of a voodoo priest, who would practice an offering to the fetish, I apply primary colors on large canvases or papers placed on the ground, to which I add pigments, rusts, oils, pastels". Crouching, kneeling, standing, Rafiy throws his colors, adds water, earth or coffee grounds. Impulsive, spontaneous, Rafiy uses the canvas as a mirror for his impressions. His works on paper, whose compositions are more focused, are thought of more as a gallery of portraits (animals, men, women, fetishes, etc.). Rafiy was one of the first artists exhibited at the gallery. In 2014, he was asked for a first public order for Cotonou Airport (Benin). We are very happy to present his fourth solo exhibition at the gallery.
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