The curtain falls this Friday February 13 2026 on the exhibition Teintes d identité whose opening took place on January 23 at Labaraque Gallery For this closing event Ivorian artist Karen Kouamé a songwriter and photographer based in France will personally present her works to visitors who come to share this artistic and identity driven moment.
Located in Cocody Riviera 2 the gallery has been hosting for several weeks a distinctive photographic series that questions the visual and cultural codes of identity photos Through her lens the artist presents portraits that move away from conventional standards by incorporating symbolic elements from the four major ethnic groups of Côte d Ivoire This aesthetic approach transforms a simple administrative format into a space for cultural and collective expression.
According to Karen Kouamé the intention behind this exhibition goes beyond a purely artistic approach Teintes d identité explores identity photos that differ from the classical ones we know by integrating cultural elements from the four major ethnic groups of Côte d Ivoire The emotion I would like people to feel when leaving the exhibition is pride in the richness of our culture and the idea that modernity and tradition can coexist and that modernity taking the lead should not be an excuse to forget where we come from So I invite everyone to come meet me and be part of my artistic journey.
This closing event promises to be a special moment of exchange between the artist and the public marked by conversations around memory identity and cultural transmission Through this approach Karen Kouamé reminds us that art can serve as a bridge between past and present tradition and modernity while inviting each person to reconnect with their cultural heritage with pride
