François-Xavier Gbré: Fragments

Cécile Fakhoury Gallery presents the photographic work of Francois-Xavier Gbré in a solo exhibition titled Fragments. Living and working for the past two years in Abidjan, this mixed-race Ivorian artist who grew up in the north of France, tackles issues such as change, economic growth, and urban expansion in a transitioning Ivory Coast. Step by step Francois-Xavier Gbré creates his own landscape through a collection of photographs that reveals hidden aspects of daily life. This exhibit allows the public to wander through the different gallery spaces by creating a dialogue between the works themselves. Francois-Xavier Gbré’s photographic path is an invitation for the imaginary world taking its roots in the environment in which we evolve as citizens living in this society. Fragments are these visual elements extracted from a broader plane. Far from a photo-journalistic report, Fragments reveals the visual footprint of a committed sensitivity dedicated to witnessing and participating in the state of the world through photographic works. Francois-Xavier Gbré explores new territories by paying attention to life swarming in front of him. Frame by frame he continually questions his own world constantly mutating. The images are linked to one another, each new composition echoing the previous work. The quest for simplicity is at the heart of his work. This search for the essential, questions the inner workings of our society, our relationship to History on local levels and universal expression. The artist shares with us his own doubts regarding his identity. The rhythm of these images tells a strange story close to free writing. The exhibition recounts this perpetual construction of visual surprises that spark off contemplation, always revealing the imperfections of our humanity. Abidjan is a mutating city, in constant development where time is accelerated, elements are lost, others appear and some even coexist. Francois-Xavier Gbré captures these scenes his work to recreate his own poetic landscapes. Opening , Friday November 28, 2014 From 5pm to 9pm http://cecilefakhoury.com