Cédric Tchinan and Franck Ezan, who come from a family with deep roots in the arts, have always known that they were destined to pursue a creative path. With an older brother who is a musician and a graduate of INSAAC (the National Higher Institute of Arts and Cultural Action) in Abidjan, a…
Cédric Tchinan and Franck Ezan, who come from a family with deep roots in the arts, have always known that they were destined to pursue a creative path. With an older brother who is a musician and a graduate of INSAAC (Institut National Supérieur des Arts et de l'Action Culturelle) in Abidjan, another brother who is a sculptor trained at the CTA (Centre Technique des Arts Appliqués) in Bingerville, and yet another working in the field of design, art truly runs in their veins.
Even those of their brothers who have not pursued a professional artistic career possess an innate artistic sensibility. From a very young age, Tchinan and Ezan were inspired by their older brothers, watching them draw and create, which motivated them to embark on their own artistic journeys. After passing their GCSEs, they joined the LEA (Lycée d’Enseignement Artistique), part of INSAAC, with Ezan in 2011 and Tchinan in 2012, Ezan being a year ahead of his brother. For them, their artistic journey was a natural choice, a passion and a calling they had felt since childhood.
Cédric Tchinan: 5 Things to Know
- Observer of Human Movement: Cédric Tchinan captures the essence of human interactions through his works, exploring the invisible connections that unite individuals.
- The Line as a Symbol: For him, the line is not merely a simple stroke but represents the fragile and essential bond between people.
- A Distinctive Style: His creations, characterised by saturated, dynamic graphic lines, reveal the complexity of human relationships with controlled spontaneity.
- A Celebration of ‘US’: Tchinan celebrates the universality of the human collective, highlighting how each individual contributes to and is shaped by this social fabric.
- Artist of Simple Happiness: His works invite reflection on the value of human connections, celebrating the simple moments that define our happiness.
Yippee, It’s Summer, Mixed media (Acrylics and oil pastels on canvas), 80 x 70 cm
Franck Ezan: 5 Things to Know
- Explorer of Identity: Franck Ezan uses the fingerprint as a prism to explore uniqueness and the bonds that unite us.
- Duality with his twin: His twinhood with Cédric Tchinan enriches his quest for individuality, navigating between resemblance and difference. His works reflect this quest, which is both personal and universal: discovering what makes each individual absolutely unique whilst maintaining a connection with others.
- Identity in Motion: Ezan sees identity as an evolving process, influenced by culture, relationships and the environment.
- Original Approach: His creative approach fuses scientific precision with visual aesthetics. Fingerprints, omnipresent in his works, offer a duality of interpretation: they function both as graphic elements and as representations of humanity’s individual and shared narratives.
- Reflection on Uniqueness: His works invite introspection on our identity and our place within humanity, highlighting the richness of individual expression.
Smile, Acrylic on canvas, 65 x 50cm
Au Fil des Rencontres: A joint exhibition by the twin brothers
The exhibition Au Fil des Rencontres, the result of an artistic collaboration between identical twin brothers Tchinan and Ezan, known collectively as Tchinezan, invites viewers on a poetic journey where each work becomes a fragment of a human story woven from connections, exchanges and experiences. Inspired by the richness of human relationships, this series explores how every interaction, whether brief or profound, shapes our lives, our identities and our view of the world.
The title, Au Fil des Rencontres, evokes the image of an invisible thread, both delicate and powerful, that connects souls across cultural, geographical and emotional boundaries. Drawing on their own personal experiences and meaningful encounters, Tchinan and Ezan convey, through their works, the beauty and richness of these bonds. Their status as identical twins lends an extra dimension to their approach, embodying both closeness and individuality, a central theme in their artistic exploration.
In this exhibition, the two artists alternate between works created individually and collaborative pieces, offering complementary perspectives on human relationships. (source: Hoop Galerie) This exhibition is on display at the Hoop Galerie in Dakar until 22 February 2025. (1) L’équipe 2.0, mixed media, 100 x 100 cm (2) Dans mes rêves, mixed media, 150 x 150 cm