Béatrice Dossou-Yovo is delighted to present the first exhibition of artist Julien Vignikin at Maison Rouge, an emblematic venue of Cotonou’s contemporary art scene, founded in 2011 by Petra and Xavier Foussard under the direction of Céline Coyac Atindehou.
In this series, Julien Vignikin’s style is refined and minimalist. The artist establishes a direct link between his contemporary sculptures and the Cubist and Surrealist movements—both themselves inspired by African tribal art. The central mask in this composition evokes the dreamlike and mysterious aspects of identity. Through this approach, Julien Vignikin creates a convergence between Western and African artistic movements, offering a profound reflection on identity and culture through the prism of the mask.
This exhibition, titled “Pure Essence Without Noise,” marks a decisive milestone in Julien Vignikin’s creative journey. After ten years without exhibiting in Benin, his return to the Beninese art scene symbolizes the reunification of his work from recent years. It represents a moment of transition and evolution that brings a new freedom to his art, where colors, abstract forms, and pictorial atmospheres transport the viewer into new dimensions.
The exhibition explores the intimate relationship between Vignikin’s masks and paintings, where the creation of one inspires the other, revealing a constant creative dialogue. He has developed an artistic signature rooted in the exploration of dualities that reflect a reality found in ancestral cultures—particularly within traditional African art.
