From Abidjun to Joburg by Véronique Tadjo

In 2008 Véronique Tadjo exhibited her visual arts works at the Origins Centre temporary gallery. The exhibition “From Abidjan to Joburg” explored the connectedness that exists between cultures and identities. By borrowing from different cultural traditions, Tadjo allows us to see the complex and dynamic nature
of our past and present.

Véronique Tadjo is a writer, poet, novelist, and artist from Côte d'Ivoire. She uses a literary term to describe her style: magical realism. This is the desire to look beyond the visible to get at the essence of our human experience. Forms are primal; they are charged with symbolism and emotion.

Tadjo uses oil sticks and acrylic for her paintings on canvas or on wood. Her colours have the vibrant quality of light in West Africa. Her themes have been influenced both by her life in Johannesburg and by memories of home.