In his works, American artist Ouattara Watts summons imaginary worlds and mystical visions, from ancestral to contemporary, to observe the metaphysical relationship between creatures. Vibrant colors, mysterious figures, and allusions to spiritual rites in the form of equations and cryptic symbols are apparent, and the interrelationship of these elements creates a dimension unique to Watts. His source material is colorful and varied, from traditional fabrics and paint to cut-out photographs and digital prints. The added layers forge a sense of his multicultural identity and reflect upon an increasingly multicultural society. Regardless of the origin of these elements, the discernable spiritual power of his works conveys another world that is both instantaneous and timeless.
Born in the Ivory Coast in 1957, Watts lives and works in New York. He was persuaded to move to the city in the late '80s by Jean-Michel Basquiat, after meeting the artist at an opening in Paris. Lifelong friends, a thematic similarity is evident in their art, both of which highlight African culture, philosophy, and spirituality.
Ouattara Watts has been exhibited at the Whitney Biennial, the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute, the Venice Biennale, and MoMA. His work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York; Smithsonian National Museum of African American Art, Washington, D.C.; The Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire; Collection Mohammed IV, Morocco; Fondation Dapper, Paris, France; Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Saratoga Springs, New York; and the UC Berkeley Museum of Art and Film Archive, Berkeley, California, among others.
Ouattara Watts
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Ouattara Watts, Flash of Shango, 2002-2018
Mixed media on canvas
300 x 418 cm
118 x 164 1/2 in -
Ouattara Watts, Cultural Alchemy, 1999
Mixed media on canvas
238 x 358 cm
93 2/3 x 141 in -
Ouattara Watts, Imagine Peace, 2018
Mixed media on canvas
264 x 246 cm
104 x 97 in -
Ouattara Watts, KA CABALA VOODOO, 1995
Mixed media on wood
280 x 244 x 19.2 cm
110 1/4 x 96 x 7 1/2 in -
Ouattara Watts, My Favorite Things, 2016
Mixed media on canvas
246 x 264 cm
97 x 104 in
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Ouattara Watts, Shango 1, 1998
Mixed media on canvas
212,1 x 152,4 cm
83 1/2 x 60 in -
Ouattara Watts, Spirit King, 2005
Watercolor
66 x 101,6 cm
26 x 40 in -
Ouattara Watts, The Poem, 2011
Mixed medias on canvas
152,4 x 122 cm
60 x 48 in -
Ouattara Watts, To Fela, 2011
Mixed media on canvas
265 x 247 cm
104 1/3 x 97 1/4 in -
Ouattara Watts, Vertigo # 5, 2011
Mixed media on tarp
274 x 305 cm
108 x 120 in -
Ouattara Watts, Vertigo # 3, 2011
Mixed medias
260 x 440 cm
102 1/3 x 173 1/4 in -
Ouattara Watts, Wanted 3, 2008
Mixed media on canvas
122 x 122 cm
48 x 48 in -
Ouattara Watts, Wait Until Tomorrow, 2005
Watercolor, pencil on paper
54,6 x 74 cm
21 1/2 x 29 1/8 in
Exhibitions
Selected press
- Robin Pogrebin, 'Artists of Color and Women Soar at Christie’s ‘21st Century’ Sale', New York Times, May 10, 2022 — 329.7 kB
- Annie Armstrong, '7 Extraordinary Artworks to Seek Out at the Newly Returned ADAA Art Show in New York', Artnet, November 4, 2021 — 267.1 kB
- Kaelen Wilson-Goldie, 'Maximum Impact: Kaelen Wilson-Goldie on the art of Ouattara Watts', Artforum, September, 2021 — 3.7 MB
- Jean-Paul Sportiello, 'Ouattara Watts, l’enfant vaudou de la peinture à l’espace Rebeyrolle d’Eymoutiers', Le Populaire, July 6, 2019 — 2.1 MB
- David Esnault, 'Ouattara Watts Paints “the Cosmos”', La Presse, December 11, 2018 — 198.6 kB
- Shireen Lohrasbee, 'Ouattara Watts’ New Paintings', February 5, 2013 — 31.8 kB
- Glenn O'Brien, 'OUATTARA WATTS presented by Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, New York City', Alessandro Benetton, March 26, 2012 — 244.3 kB
- Walter Robinson, 'HEAD OVER HEELS', Artnet, February, 2012 — 251.2 kB
- Karen Day, 'Studio Visit: Ouattara Watts', Cool Hunting, January 27, 2012 — 926.9 kB
- Charlie Finch, 'WATTS UP', Artnet, November, 2007 — 172.0 kB
- Massimo Carboni, 'Ouattara Watts, Magazzino d'Arte Moderna', Artforum, May, 2004 — Holland Cotter, 'ART REVIEW; Mix of Cultures, Politics and Bravado', The New York Times, May 19, 1995 — 219.0 kB
- TNYT - Watts — 36.8 kB