Africa

IN PICS | Ivory Coast's economic hub Abidjan turns into vibrant graffiti gallery

20 December 2024 - 13:12 By Loucoumane Coulibaly
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Street artists, who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, paint graffitis and murals in a street in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on November 11, 2024.
Street artists, who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, paint graffitis and murals in a street in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on November 11, 2024.
Image: Luc Gnago

Splashes of vibrant colours are reviving the urban canvas of Abidjan's Plateau district, the economic heart of the Ivory Coast.

Ivorians have previously viewed graffiti with disdain and graffiti artists were liable for prosecution, but that view is changing and graffiti murals are increasingly common on city walls as the art form has gained acceptance.

Towering murals and intricate graffiti pieces now adorn the exteriors of international hotels and major thoroughfares.

The inaugural “Ivory Graff Graffiti Festival” attracted about 40 national and international artists who spent two weeks in November converting bland walls into 300-metre works of art.

Benjamin Le Lieve, president of festival organiser Graff Ivoire, said he was proud to have launched a new initiative.

Passers-by admired the artists at work and expressed approval for their efforts to revamp the urban centre.

“It brings a change to the city of Abidjan,” said Michael Bende, an Ivorian.

South African artist Dbongz Mahlathi said: “The graffiti I've created isn't for me, it's for the people who will see it every day.”

Reuters

A woman walks past murals and graffiti by street artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on November 13, 2024.
A woman walks past murals and graffiti by street artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on November 13, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
People walk past murals and graffiti by street artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on November 13, 2024.
People walk past murals and graffiti by street artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on November 13, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
People walk past a mural by street artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 13, 2024.
People walk past a mural by street artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 13, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
People walk past a mural representing Ivory Coast international soccer player Franck Yannick Kessie, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 19, 2024.
People walk past a mural representing Ivory Coast international soccer player Franck Yannick Kessie, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 19, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
A man pushes a cart while he walks past a mural representing boxers, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 19, 2024.
A man pushes a cart while he walks past a mural representing boxers, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 19, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
Angelo Guessan, 22, a young Ivorian student in art and also a street artist, works on a mural depicting the face of a traditional dancer, during the first edition of Graff Ivoire, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 13, 2024.
Angelo Guessan, 22, a young Ivorian student in art and also a street artist, works on a mural depicting the face of a traditional dancer, during the first edition of Graff Ivoire, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 13, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
South African street artist Dbongz Mahlathi, who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, paints a mural on the facade of the Pullman hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 15, 2024.
South African street artist Dbongz Mahlathi, who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, paints a mural on the facade of the Pullman hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 15, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
Street artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, paint a mural on the facade of the Pullman hotel, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 17, 2024.
Street artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, paint a mural on the facade of the Pullman hotel, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 17, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
A man pushes a cart while he walks past street artists painting murals during the first edition of Graff Ivoire in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 11, 2024.
A man pushes a cart while he walks past street artists painting murals during the first edition of Graff Ivoire in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 11, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
Kodjo Djidjoele, alias Patriot, a Togolese street artist who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, paints a mural in a street in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 12, 2024.
Kodjo Djidjoele, alias Patriot, a Togolese street artist who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, paints a mural in a street in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 12, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
Graffiti and murals made by artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, are seen on the facade of the Pullman hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 19, 2024.
Graffiti and murals made by artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, are seen on the facade of the Pullman hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 19, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
People walk past a mural representing former Ivory Coast international soccer player Didier Drogba in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 19, 2024.
People walk past a mural representing former Ivory Coast international soccer player Didier Drogba in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 19, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
A man walks past murals and graffiti painted by street artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 11, 2024.
A man walks past murals and graffiti painted by street artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 11, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
Graffiti and murals made by artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, are seen on the facade of the Pullman hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 19, 2024.
Graffiti and murals made by artists who came to participate in the first edition of Graff Ivoire, are seen on the facade of the Pullman hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 19, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
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