- Born
- 22 January 1975, Lomé, Togo
- Lives and works
- Paris, since 2003
- Medium
- Mixed media: acrylic, collage, fusion techniques
- Practice
- Thirty-six years of work
- Instruments
- Trumpet, baritone horn, alto saxophone
About
Vincent Ekoué Follykoué
For him, art is above all a celebration of life. A self-taught artist who became a full professional, he signs his works Vincenzo.
Born on 22 January 1975 in Lomé, Togo, Vincent Ekoué Follykoué, known as Vincenzo, was drawn to drawing and colour from an early age. His primary school teachers noticed his talent: as a child he went from classroom to classroom drawing natural science diagrams and history and geography maps on the blackboards. His maternal uncle, a draughtsman, illustrator and sculptor, taught him the foundations of drawing, form and volume.
Still a schoolboy, he won his first drawing competition, on the theme of apartheid. His work was selected and broadcast on Togolese national television. He had found his path.
Everything changed in 1994. He discovered the work of Alphonse Sallah and met Sokey Edorh, two artists of the tractographes group named by the playwright Ayayi Togoata Apedo-Amah. Music was part of these encounters: a trumpet player, he performed in concerts and at exhibition openings alongside Thierry Nkélly Faha.
Forced into exile like many young Togolese of his generation, he first settled in Benin, where he learned screen printing and portraiture, then in Senegal in 2001, where he truly began working as a professional artist. In 2003 he moved to Paris with his family.
For thirty-six years he has explored emotions, human relationships and the experiences that shape a life. His paintings and sculptures celebrate life, in its moments of joy and wonder as well as in its times of doubt and hope.
“All I wanted was to draw and make paintings. Colour made a lasting impression on me, and ever since I have worked tirelessly to find my own path.”
Strengths
- Recognised earlyCalled on by his teachers from primary school, awarded as a child and shown on national television.
- A strong artistic lineageTrained by an uncle who was a sculptor, shaped by Alphonse Sallah and Sokey Edorh of the Togolese tractographes.
- Three disciplines, one voicePainter, sculptor and trumpet player, he brings colour, material and sound into conversation.
- Command of materialAcrylic, collage and fusion techniques, from portraiture and screen printing to very large formats.
- A life across three countriesLomé, Benin, Senegal and then Paris: a body of work enriched by exile and encounters.
- Undimmed ambitionTo share his art with audiences in Togo, exhibit in Europe and the United States, and work with artists worldwide.
“In Vincenzo Follykoué's work, colour becomes a true language: it does not merely dress the material, it carries an emotion and opens a direct dialogue with the viewer.”