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Joël Andrianomearisoa

Born in 1977 in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Joël Andrianomearisoa lives and works across multiple territories: Paris, Antananarivo, and Magnat-l’Étrange. He graduated from the École Spéciale d’Architecture (Paris) as an architect in 2003.

Andrianomearisoa expresses himself through various mediums and materials, seeking to give form to non-explicit and abstract narrations. From sculpture to installation, from craftsmanship to writing, from textile to architecture, he adopts a plural approach inspired by his Malagasy roots but also by the world and its multiple geographies.

Imbued with complex emotional experiences, his work gives rise to delicate and tension-filled creations, mirroring the breaths of our lives. A series of exercises in constant evolution … continuous explorations of the materiality of emotions.

In 2020, Joël Andrianomearisoa founded an independent space in Antananarivo dedicated to artists, in collaboration with Hasnaine Yavarhoussen. Hakanto Contemporary embodies his own commitment to the creative scene of his native country.

Throughout his career, he has received several awards, including the ARCOmadrid Audemars Piguet Prize in 2016. In 2019, the Republic of Madagascar named him a Chevalier of Arts and Letters, and in 2024, France conferred upon him the title of Chevalier of Arts and Letters. In 2025, he was named Commandeur of Arts and Letters, in Madagascar.

The Prix Marcel Duchamp, one of the most prestigious prizes in the contemporary art world, annually honors an artist for their outstanding artistic achievement. Joël Andrianomearisoa is among the artists nominated for its 26th edition. Works by the four nominated artists will be presented in a special exhibition at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris starting October 2, 2026. The winner will be announced on October 22, 2026.
 

Joël Andrianomearisoa's work has been presented in several prestigious institutions worldwide and in the context of major contemporary art events, including Kunsthalle Praha, Czech Republic (2021); Dallas Contemporary, TX, US (2020); the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC, US; MACAAL, Marrakech, Morocco (2022); the Dakar Biennale, Senegal (2016); the Biennale of Sydney, Australia (2020); the Centre Pompidou, Paris, France (2005); Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, Germany (2018); and Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany (2024). In 2019, he became the first artist to represent Madagascar at the 58th Venice Biennale, Italy, with a monumental installation for the country's national pavilion.

His work is held in the collections of the Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, South Africa; the Smithsonian, Washington, DC, US; the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY, US; the Muzeum Sztuki, Łódź, Poland; and the Yavarhoussen Collection, Antananarivo, Madagascar. In 2025, three of his iconic works entered the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, US.

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Selected artworks

  • Joël Andrianomearisoa, Les herbes folles du vieux logis , 2022

    Joël Andrianomearisoa Les herbes folles du vieux logis , 2022

    Diptych - Textile
    260 x 180 cm
    102 1/2 x 71 in

  • Joël Andrianomearisoa, Things and something to remember before daylight Act V, 2024

    Joël Andrianomearisoa Things and something to remember before daylight Act V, 2024

    Textiles / lames
    260 x 180 cm
    102 1/2 x 71 in

  • Joël Andrianomearisoa, Dans les songes et la captivité des creux de la peau tant adorée, 2024

    Joël Andrianomearisoa Dans les songes et la captivité des creux de la peau tant adorée, 2024

    Tapisserie tissée dans les Ateliers Robert Four à Carthage - Raphia
    195 x 135 cm
    77 x 53 in

  • Joël Andrianomearisoa, Litanie des horizons obscurs, 2022

    Joël Andrianomearisoa Litanie des horizons obscurs, 2022

    Natural fiber, textile, metal
    120 x 90 cm
    47 x 35 1/2 in

  • Joël Andrianomearisoa, Remember, 2024

    Joël Andrianomearisoa Remember, 2024

    Textile
    40 x 50 cm
    16 x 19 1/2 in

  • Joël Andrianomearisoa, ATLAS AND TALES OF OUR DESIRES, 2023

    Joël Andrianomearisoa ATLAS AND TALES OF OUR DESIRES, 2023

    Pastel on paper
    101,6 x 64,8 cm
    40 x 25 in

  • Joël Andrianomearisoa, Effet de Lune Acte I, 2023

    Joël Andrianomearisoa Effet de Lune Acte I, 2023

    Fabric on canvas
    160 x 100 cm
    63 x 39 1/2 in 

  • Joël Andrianomearisoa, Archives of a sentimental territory, 2024

    Joël Andrianomearisoa Archives of a sentimental territory, 2024

    Painted metal and wood
    130 x 90 cm
    51 x 35 1/2 in

  • Joël Andrianomearisoa, Something, 2024

    Joël Andrianomearisoa Something, 2024

    Neon light
    20 x 50 cm
    8 x 19 1/2 in

In the studio with Joël Andrianomearisoa

Gallery exhibitions

Museum exhibitions

Selected press

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