Paul Sika

Paul Sika describes himself as a photomaker, a word that straddles the line between photographer and filmmaker. The artist's visual language is strongly influenced by fantasy cinema, cartoons, manga and African stories. It is close to simulacra, as his approach to the photographic gesture itself is only one stage in his pictorial construction process. Sika creates his photographs in the same way that others create animated films, by constructing an image rather than capturing it: he places his characters in a cinematic setting, creating extraordinary scenes. ...

Galerie Cecile Fakhoury opened its doors in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in September 2012. In May 2018, the gallery inaugurated its second space in Dakar, Senegal and a showroom in Paris, France. Shortly after, in March 2020, a new project space dedicated to emerging artists from Africa opened in Abidjan. In October 2021, Galerie Cecile Fakhoury inaugurated another gallery, opening in the 8th arrondissement of Paris on Avenue Matignon. The gallery promotes contemporary art from Africa and the Diaspora by providing visibility to the artistic diversity and creative spirit from the continent. Through its programming of solo and group exhibitions, participation in international art fairs, biennales, and collaboration with international galleries, Cecile Fakhoury is a leading force putting contemporary African art on the global map. The artists represented by the gallery are distinguished by their cultural identities and stories, they create a new language that crosses geographical boundaries and familiarities. They are observers of the world they live in, critics of society, and committed to their positions living within complex histories. In turn, they ask us to reconsider our own relation to the world. ...