
Jems Robert Koko Bi is a major figure of contemporary art in Ivory Coast. At the same time sculptor and performer, student of the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts, after studying at INSAAC in Abidjan, he creates figurative forms but also abstract and conceptual constructions carved in wood, whether working with a knife, chainsaw or fire. Migrations, the struggle for power or the memory of slavery are some of his recurring subjects, related to the dominations that reside in our societies. He regularly participates in the Dakar Biennial and other international events such as the Havana Biennial (2003), Documenta (Kassel, 2012) or Venice Biennale (Ivorian Pavilion 2013, 2015, 2017). He was also part of The Divine Comedy (Frankfurt, 2014 – Washington, 2015) and The Masters of Sculpture of Ivory Coast (Quai Branly, Paris, 2016).