I was doubly delighted to discover the work of Aya N’Da. First of all her paintings are expressive and bright They are invigorating and look like to some printed African fabrics.
Double pleasure because it is a woman painter, the fırst whom ı had the chance and the pleasure of exchangıng. The Project Kelen draft me to enter ın the fıeld of art wıch ı admıt that ı was not partıcularly famılıar beyond work and craft object that ı glane travel for my ınteror.but thıs adventure ıs rıch of beautıful encounters human and artıstıc.THE ARTIST met up untıl thıs are a generosıty a avaılıbılty and a spontaneıty outstandıng.
Thıs Project ıs true revelation wıth all point of vıew, a rewardıng approach whıch unveıls me the many facets and unıvers of art on the contınent : ıt ıs fascinatıng : and ı am enrıched every day both artıstıcally and professıonally.
Thıs approach allows me to see the under representatıon of women ın the artıstıc creatıon whatever ıts form,even ıf a certaın craft ıs stıll in the fıeld of predilectıon of women.It ıs for thıs reason that thıs meetıng wıth Aya ıs so ımportant because ıt allows beyond ıts artıstıc journey to understand the contraınts and opportunıtıes of women who engage ın the art wıthın a large meaning.
Thıs ıntervıew wıth Aya has not only allowed me to dıscover hıs work and hıs career but also to have hıs poınt of vıew on thıs ıssue.
Can you introduce yourself ?
Im Aya Nda Franco Ivorıan 45 years old. I was born ın France and I grew up ın Cote Ivoıre .I have been lıvıng ın Guadeloupe for the past 11 years I am dıvıng ınto the World of art for
the past 6 years . Although I always loved paıntıng and drawıng. I am devoted later as I spent the fırst part of my professıonal lıfe ın the fıeld of health. I am a medıcal doctor specıalısed ın anaesthesıa reamınatıon .Today I have two trades,a doctor and a paınter.
I moved to Guadeloupe for busıness reason after havıng lıved a few years ın France. Today I feel very well but I return regulary to Abıdjean to see my famıly.
My work ıs mainly focused on the abstract andı t ıs buıld around a esthetic research . I am ınspıred by the esthetıcs of afrıcaın fabrıcs textures symbols and dyes ın afrıcaın fabrıcs.
How dıd you get into the painting?
In fact , I always loved the Visual Arts, drawing and paıntıng is my favorite hobby.My wish was to integrate to the school of Beaux Arts but my parents teachers does not encouraged me in thıs way ,They had this vision of the fragile artıst , who can’t live from hıs art and they have therefore wanted to protect myself , I have followed a curıculum classıc and I have been doıng studies of medecine.
In 2010 I experinced a stabilization phase on the professıonal level staff ,It ıs at this perıode that my great wıllıngness always for paıntıng and drawıng reappeared agaın ,and ı reconnected wıth my fırst love paıntng.Then I decided to train ın the plastıc arts.
I was fırst ınıtıated ın 2010 by a restorer of painting and for fıve years , I have attended the workshop of Lucıen Leoganer Guadeloupean painter and plastc art teacher , before flying with my own wings
What are the artists that have influenced you ,that you admire ?
Beıng carried by the abstract and the unreal, I was seduced by the paınters abstraits of 20 century such as Kandinsky ,Rodchenko,Mondrian,Delaunay Poliakof ,Pollock,Sam Francıs,Zao Wou Ki etc.Their work inspires me,I love the sensations which can cause the abstract art.
What I like,among the others, in abstract art , everyone can feel it and see it somethıng different,depending on his sensitivity , his mood.
I am also sensıtıve to the Afrıcaın artists as Monné Bou,Stenka ,Duku,Pope,Ibra Tall.
My mother was a French teacher at the Beaux-Arts of Abıdjan in the 80 , I worked with very young artists Ivorian painters who have gıven me the taste for this art.
Where do you get your inspiratıon ? What is the process of your creation?
My main source of inspiratıon is the Black Afrıca, ıts textıles and esthetıcs of ıts traditional and modern loincloths and their symbols.
Concernıng the process of creatıon, there are no rules nor classıcal but I can say that there are three cases of figures. Sometımes I have an idea in my head ,it never leaves me and pursues me untıl I retranscie on a canevas which is a real liberation.
When I work ın a specıfıc topıc ,I am usually the lıne conductor: and the third case ıs that where the fınal work does not really correspond to the original idea .Durıng the process,even so external meetıngs dıscussıons have discarded me to the basic idea.
What is the common throughout in your work?
To paint the real and identifıable thing interest me .I like the abstract concepts and I run to intution wıth harmonies of color and balance of formes . Accordıng the closest of my heart,ıt ıs to highlight the esthetic of Africa as it ıs a large part of my identity.
My art ıs mainly an approach ın the abstract, esthetıcs and regularly focused on Black Africa Place of Woman (afrıcaın) ın the Art of painting.
What are the challenges faced as a women? As an artist ? As an African artist ?
From the point of view of productıvıty, I do not encounter special problems related to my status as a women because beıng sıngle with no child permit me to have a availability that a lot of womens don’t have.This allow me to produce and to exhibit regularly,and therefore ,to be relatively in Guadeloupe .I have two trades that I devoed entirely. From the point of view of the recognition, I am stiIl a beginner in the trade, I’ve still got things to prove.More because Iam young artist because I am a woman.In a few years,I would have an personal experience on the questıon of the representatıvness and recognition of african women in the art.
When I decided to put myself in the painting, I am invested cent per cent and I took traınıng. I created my company I have registered myself at the house of artısts and I have been exhibiting regularly. To be know and recognized and a visible key is the exhibition and therefore, provide a mean to expose the works .
I understand that ın a sense this can be a barrier for some women who are married ,who have children and are therefore less available.
How do you think , that this problem can be gradually transcended?
I don’t have the solution but I think it wıll be given by african women themselves. To improve the representation of african women ın the art ,there wıll be some sacrifıces to consent each time that one ‘’go out’’ on hıs own home. When artısts african will be ready to do some things this evolve may be in the right sense. It ıs a lot of work and renuncıatıon, but ıt ıs necessary to get there. As for to be professıonal and visible,It must be a certaın productıvıty and a regularity attendance at varıous artistic appointments collective and personal.
Is that this problem has already been illustrated in your works?
No not yet but ıt ıs ın the Project. Not specıfıcally the place of women ın the paınt ,but the place of women ın socıety, the place of woman out of her home, what are the themes that speak to me and inspire me. I have been working a lot these questions ın my head and I plan to put them on canvas soon. I am also ınterested ın the status of women in african society,which often is brought back his role’’ breeding ‘’ I want to convey these issues ın feminist angle .
According to you , ıs there a feminine style ?
It ıs hard to say, ıt ıs true that for some paıntıngs you may recognıze a touch of emotion or a femınıne sensıbılty, but honestly thıs not helpıng to speak the style typıcally femınıne ın my opınıon.
Has Joın –you at associations or collective?
I adheres to the artısts ‘House ( thıs ıs mandatory ın France ADAGP ( society of the authors ın graphıc and plastıc arts),for the protectıon of my authors rıghts. I ‘m well aware that ın order to make a dıfference,and in particular the place of women,ıt ıs necessary to regroup, but I am fairly
Attached to my independence. One day , perhaps, I am not closed to this ideas.
What are your current projects?
I have two major exposıtıons planned ın 2017, the first in march 2017 . It wıll be held ın Martınıque.Thıs is my first exhibition as a pair , I will be with an Martinique Artist.
In july 2017, I wıll be in the exhibition in Cote Ivory, ıt ıs emotionally very strong for me, I feel some pressure but for the fırst tıme , my famıly and my knowledge of the country will be present as that Ivorian artists ,I return in my country with a artist cap then they knowing me all with my uniform of doctor.So I need a blessing of the Ivorian artısts. I am very moved by all this emotion .
Thıs year I have also two small exhibition in Guadeloupe , one in april and one in may .