Jean Servais Somian is a sculptor, cabinetmaker, and designer whose sculptural pieces possess a functional and utilitarian purpose. Somian transforms wood into striking contemporary designs with clean lines, colorful shapes, and elements of ancestralism, while also “turn[ing] Western stereotypes of [the] Ivory Coast into visual celebrations.” He uses coconut, ebony, or amazaque wood and includes ordinary objects from African life like sponges, basins, or old fishermen’s canoes. “I take trunks as they are. I leave them in their writing, without straightening them. What is in nature is not straight,” Somian says.
Source: 193 Gallery
Website
https://www.somiandesign.com
