Ellipse art Projects was created at the initiative of Ellipse Projects, a French company specialising in the design and construction of infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The endowment fund launched the Ellipse Prize in 2021. This competition aims to amplify the messages conveyed by artists from all backgrounds, promote their mobility, and create professional opportunities beyond borders, in order to encourage intercultural exchange.

Supported by a jury of specialists that is renewed each year, the Ellipse Prize awards five finalists, including one winner, by providing them with visibility within professional networks, both locally and internationally.

The winner receives a production grant as well as a unique exhibition in France at AKAA.

After Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo, the 2024 edition is dedicated to Benin. From March 18 to May 10, visual artists aged 18 to 40 were invited to apply by submitting a portfolio of works and an exhibition project related to the theme “Contemporary Tradition.”

Nobel Koty is the winner of this fourth edition of the Ellipse Prize for Contemporary Art.

You will be able to discover his solo show at AKAA 2024.

Nobel Koty

Born in 1988 in Cotonou, Benin, Nobel Koty creates self-portraits that allow him to delve into his inner world. By depicting himself against a neutral background, the young man clears the space around him, laying himself bare. His introspective artistic approach explores the notion of modesty and the relationship between the individual and their physical body, which both protects and comforts. This makes his canvases a refuge where human fragility can be revealed without restraint.

Nobel Koty’s works expose the vulnerability of the human being, capturing moments of uncertainty that pave the way for deep introspection. These moments of doubt are essential to our personal development, fostering our empathy and understanding of the mechanisms that sometimes elude us.

By inviting reflection on the human condition, he encourages each of us to explore the complexities of our own existence in order to better understand the world around us.