PICHA EXHIBITION

Current Exhibitions
Picha, African Comics November 8 th - December 20 th 2008
The African comics culture is thriving and diverse.

The African comic is doing well with artists active throughout the continent, comic festivals being organized and many comic magazines published. Examples of this and their impact can be seen in countries such as Senegal which broadcasts a popular television series based on a comic character (Googoorlu). In South Africa, the life of Mandela has been told in comic form, whilst in Ethiopia comics are used to warn soldiers about the dangers of AIDS. More than any other media - apart from the current wave of video coming out of Nigeria and other African countries - the African comic is a reflection of Africa's contemporaneity, especially its political and social reality. The successful comics series 'Aya de Yopougon', written by Ivorian artist Marguerite Abouet, is a soap in drawings, with love, arguments and adultery taking the centre stage. Yet this comic is set in the tranquil Seventies of the last century, when civil war in Ivory Coast was still very far away. In many countries, comics can be produced at a very low cost, they do not need academic or professional training and can communicate at a level accessible to all. These are factors that make this medium widely accessible in the absence of adequate artistic infrastructure. However the lack of distribution channels and more specifically funding has meant that the sector is yet to reach its potential.

Artists included in the exhibition are Themba Siwela [South Africa], Pahé [Gabon] Patrick Essono, alias Pahé, Frank Odoi [Ghana], Didier Kassaï [Central African Republic], Eric Andriantsialonina, alias Dwa, Didier Kassaï [Central African Republic], Bob Kanza [Congo], Tayo Fatunla [Nigeria], Ramón Esono Ebalé [Equatorial Guinea], Adjim Danngar [Chad], Farid Boudjellal [Algeria], Marguerite Abouet [Ivory Coast], Bob Kanza [Congo], Barly Baruti [Democratic Rep. Of Congo], Karliendo Villiers [South Africa]

Visit www.picha.nl for more information about the exhibition.

VENUES: CCA, Lagos 9 McEwen Street, Lagos, Nigeria Sabo, Yaba

Yusuf Grillo Art Gallery, YabaTech, Lagos Nigeria

COMICPANEL is a universal interest magazine that aims at celebrating and exposing Nigeria’s growing comic industry (and everything connected to comics be it animations, movies, music, books, games, pop culture etc) to the rest of the world by creating a print portal that lends a voice to every comic oriented person in Nigeria. The magazine is filled with many interesting segments that can teach, motivate, entertain and inform its readers about happenings around comics here in Nigeria and also all over the world. With box office comic movie hits like Batman, Spiderman, 300, Hell boy etc our goal is to create a better awareness of comics as a foundation to creative entertainment and also as a society building tool which can create jobs to the ever growing artistic youth population, celebrate art and the reading culture and also increase the enthusiasm of investors on the profit potential of this growing industry.

Publisher: Mustard Seed Communication International

Product: COMICPANEL (The Magazine)

Vision: To create a better awareness of comics as a foundation and tool to creative entertainment.

Mission: Regenerate Africa’s comic awareness using articles, tutorials, graphics and illustration, news report etc. Encourage the young ones to keep drawing and writing by creating incentives.