Ouattara Watts, born 1957, Côte d'Ivoire Search this
Medium:
Acrylic and mixed media on wood
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 280 x 244 x 19.2 cm (110 1/4 x 96 1/16 x 7 9/16 in.)
Type:
Painting
Geography:
Côte d'Ivoire
Date:
1995
Label Text:
Born in Côte d'Ivoire, Ouattara has been a prominent artist based in New York City since he began working with renowned painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. A self-taught artist, Ouattara conquered the international art scene with his dramatic mixed-media paintings and dynamic personality.
In Ka Cabala Voodoo, Ouattara explores sacred and architectural themes. Mound forms at the top of his massive canvas recall the earthen altars and mosques of West Africa. The clay-colored crusty surface reinforces this earthen connection as it evokes a space where the faithful make invocations and leave offerings. At the center, Ouattara placed the image of a leopard--a symbol of leadership--and the words ka cabala voodoo in reference to the vodun faith system widely practiced in the region.
Description:
Large mixed media piece, with heavily worked red acrylic surface complemented by accents of white, which draw the eye to two protruding structures at the top of the composition and allude to ritual vessels and ceremonial related forms. The center of the composition shows a schematic image of the leopard, an important heraldic animal, and the words, Ka Cabala Voodoo.
Provenance:
Mr. and Mrs. Armand P. Arman, New York, acquired from artist, -- to 2001
Exhibition History:
Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 4, 2017-ongoing
African Mosaic: Selections from the Permanent Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2013–August 12, 2019 (deinstalled April 10, 2014)
African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010-November 13, 2013
Body of Evidence-Rotation 1, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 14-October 15, 2006
Journeys and Destinations, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 31-November 30, 2003
Published References:
How to Look at African Art. 2013. Gallery guide. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
National Museum of African Art. 2010. African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting. Exhibition card. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, no. 15 (detail).
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