Ouattara WATTS Giving - 2006 Watercolour and pencil on paper 57 x 77 cm Watercolor and pencil on paper 22.4 x 30.3 in. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by the current owner "My vision is not linked to a country or a continent; it goes beyond borders and everything that can be identified on a map. Although I use identifiable elements to help people understand me, it's a project that goes far beyond that. It's the cosmos I'm painting. "My vision is not tied to any one country or continent; it transcends borders and everything that can be pinpointed on a map. While I use identifiable elements to make myself better understood, the project itself goes far beyond that. What I paint is the cosmos." Ouattara Watts FR Born in Abidjan in 1957, Ouattara Watts left the Ivory Coast in the late 1970s to study at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. About ten years later, he met Jean-Michel Basquiat at an art exhibition. Basquiat, a fan of Watts' work, persuaded him to move to New York, where he still lives today. It was from this meeting that a short but fruitful collaboration was born. For Ouattara Watts, there are spiritual links between geography and nationality. It is through the use of bright colours, shapes, signs and symbols that they explore these links. Through his work, he depicts his multicultural identity, offering a social, historical and personal reading. Between lyricism and wit, imaginary worlds and magic, he depicts the complexity of the relationships we have with those around us, but also with our own identity. A major figure in the Ivorian diaspora, Ouattara Watts has a truly international reputation, and has been featured in events such as the Dakar Biennale, the Venice Biennale and historic exhibitions such as The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa, 1945-1994 at MoMa PS1 (2001, cur. Okwui Enwezor); The Whitney Museum Biennial (2002); Body of evidence at the Smithsonian Museum for African Art in Washington (2008) and Documenta 11 in Kassel (2002). EN Born in 1957 in Abidjan, Ouattara Watts left Côte d'Ivoire in the late 1970s to attend the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. About a decade later, he met Jean-Michel Basquiat at an art opening. Basquiat, a fan of Watts' work, persuaded him to move to New York, where he still resides today. This encounter sparked a brief but fruitful collaboration. For Ouattara Watts, geography and nationality are tied to spiritual connections. Through the use of vivid colours, shapes, signs, and symbols, he explores these links. In his works, he portrays his multicultural identity, offering a social, historical, and personal perspective. Balancing lyricism and intellect, imaginary worlds and magic, he delves into the complexity of our relationships-with others and with our own identities. A prominent figure of the Ivorian diaspora, Ouattara Watts enjoys international acclaim. His work has been showcased at major events such as the Dakar Biennale, the Venice Biennale, and in landmark exhibitions like The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa, 1945-1994 at MoMA PS1 (2001, curated by Okwui Enwezor); the Whitney Biennial (2002); Body of Evidence at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington (2008); and Documenta 11 in Kassel (2002). Ouattara WATTS "My vision is not linked to a country or a continent; it goes beyond borders and everything that can be identified on a map. Although I use identifiable elements to help people understand me, it's a project that goes far beyond that. It's the cosmos I'm painting. "My vision is not tied to any one country or continent; it transcends borders and everything that can be pinpointed on a map. While I use identifiable elements to make myself better understood, the project itself goes far beyond that. What I paint is the cosmos." Ouattara Watts FR Born in Abidjan in 1957, Ouattara Watts left the Ivory Coast in the late 1970s to study at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. About ten years later, he met Jean-Michel Basquiat at an art exhibition. Basquiat, a fan of Watts' work, persuaded him to move to New York, where he still lives today. This meeting led to a short but fruitful collaboration. For Ouattara Watts, there are spiritual links between geography and nationality. It is through the use of bright colours, shapes, signs and symbols that they explore these links. Through his work, he depicts his multicultural identity, offering a social, historical and personal reading. Between lyricism and wit, imaginary worlds and magic, he depicts the complexity of the relationships we have with those around us, but also with our own identity. A major figure in the Ivorian diaspora, Ouattara Watts has a truly international reputation and has been presented at events such as the Dakar Biennial, the Venice Biennial and historic exhibitions such as The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa, 1945-1994 at MoMa PS1 (2001, cur. Okwui Enwezor); The Whitney Museum Biennial (2002); Body of evidence at the Smithsonian Museum for African Art in Washington (2008) and Documenta 11 in Kassel (2002). EN Born in 1957 in Abidjan, Ouattara Watts left Côte d'Ivoire in the late 1970s to attend the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. About a decade later, he met Jean-Michel Basquiat at an art opening. Basquiat, a fan of Watts' work, persuaded him to move to New York, where he still resides today. This encounter sparked a brief but fruitful collaboration. For Ouattara Watts, geography and nationality are tied to spiritual connections. Through the use of vivid colours, shapes, signs, and symbols, he explores these links. In his works, he portrays his multicultural identity, offering a social, historical, and personal perspective. Balancing lyricism and intellect, imaginary worlds and magic, he delves into the complexity of our relationships-with others and with our own identities. A prominent figure of the Ivorian diaspora, Ouattara Watts enjoys international acclaim. His work has been showcased at major events such as the Dakar Biennale, the Venice Biennale, and in landmark exhibitions like The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa, 1945-1994 at MoMA PS1 (2001, curated by Okwui Enwezor); the Whitney Biennial (2002); Body of Evidence at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington (2008); and Documenta 11 in Kassel (2002).