Itinerary of a Story Teller

From June 20 to September 7, 2019

At Galerie des Bains, rue des Bains 22, 1205 Geneva

Mederic Turay solo show “Itinerary of a Story Teller” on view from the 20th of June to the 7th of September 2019.

Mederic Turay’s profusion of vibrant colors, intriguing forms and eloquent symbols characterize his style. In collaboration with the Invisible Borders Foundation it’s going to be the first solo exhibition of the Ivorian artist in Switzerland.

ITINERARY OF A STORY TELLER

Mederic Turay’s work is delectable at the first sight. A superficial look usually suffices to appreciate the magic created by his distinctive marks, both on canvas and sculptures. The shapes are captured in acrobatic style, the collusion of vivid colors and the characteristic mesmerizing eyes are the signature.

AN ETERNAL STRUGGLE

An alternative approach consists in scrutinizing Mederic Turay’s vocabulary, of which many themes revolve around African and Afro-American culture. Mederic Turay draws inspiration from his origins and instills his canvas with a denunciating and political character. Proud of his Ivory Coast heritage, Mederic’s work brings black historical and traditional legends to light.

« For me, this exhibition in Switzerland has been designed in the spirit of a self-analysis of our collective humanity: past, present and future. » Mederic Turay

MEDERIC TURAY’S JOURNEY

Born in 1979 in Ivory Coast, Mederic Turay grew up in the United States where close contact with the artistic community allowed him to cement his development. He returned to Abijdan to pursue a childhood dream by obtaining his diploma in Fine Arts (INSAAC) in 2000 and was elected the same year as the leading young West African artist. A virtuoso painter featuring a striking and original style, Mederic Turay’s work chrysalises a unique nervousness and intensity, in line with his own personality.

MEDERIC TURAY’S INSPIRATION PUZZLE

An avid lover of Basquiat’ neo-expressionism, Picasso’s cubist composition, Bacon’s abstractions and Leonardo da Vinci’s genius, Mederic Turay’s approach takes root in an existential relation with the world identifiable by all. Blending diverse materials, Mederic Turay builds, cuts, accumulates, composes, with an energy and spontaneity synonymous with life’s moments, thus leaving his “traces”.