Rosalie Boka: A Young Ivorian Artist Advocating for Nature

DakArtNews met in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with Rosalie Boka, a 27-year-old Ivorian artist and a recent graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts in Abidjan. Passionate about nature and deeply concerned with environmental issues, she uses painting as a medium to raise awareness about the preservation of natural heritage and to highlight ecological challenges. Alongside her artistic practice, she teaches visual arts and participates in international residencies, making her first promising strides in the contemporary art scene.

Why are you an artist?

Art is like therapy for me. Some artists create for the sake of art, while others do it for commercial purposes. For me, art is therapy because it provides an escape from the troubles of society.

You speak of therapy as if you were suffering from an illness.

It’s not that I suffer from an illness when I say art is therapy for me. But in this modern world, we face so much pressure—from society, family, and more. Art, for me, is a way to escape. I don’t use art to run away from reality, but I do allow myself a reprieve. Some people turn to substances like drugs or alcohol. Since I don’t consume those, I prefer to paint as a way of freeing myself. Painting soothes the soul and awakens the intellect. Everyone has their own form of release, their own direction.

What does art mean to you?

Art is a means of expression, a way to escape. It allows me to convey my inner feelings and serves as a way to interact, exchange, and communicate with society. Through my paintings, I can raise awareness or address specific issues; they are a medium of communication. You can learn a lot about an artist through their work. For me, art reveals both our weaknesses and our inner world.

What are you trying to communicate through your art?

My art is about sounding the alarm and drawing attention to the environment around us. As an artist, I see myself as an environmentalist. I paint scenes of nature, but before starting a piece, I visit the forest near where I live for inspiration and to immerse myself in its atmosphere. The forest is both mysterious and unique. It’s a magical world where I feel awestruck. I hear music in the sounds of birds and the rustling wind. I’m calmed by the coolness and gentleness of nature.

Why have you chosen nature as your central theme?

I have chosen nature as my central theme because I want to raise awareness in my community. Nature is an environment that is familiar to me since I am the daughter of a farmer. As a child, we would accompany our parents to the fields. My first encounters with nature were filled with a sense of fear. I often felt as if I were being followed, turning around to see if someone was there. Over time, though, I grew to appreciate this environment. I began to notice the flowers, the musicality of the sounds, and the play of light. For me, it became a way to convey a message, to draw attention to the pressing issues of climate change and deforestation. In Côte d’Ivoire, we have lost much of our forest heritage. Through my art, I aim to alert people to the dangers that threaten us.

Do you think art has the power to change mindsets?

Yes. As I’ve mentioned, as an artist, it’s not just about creating and selling. It’s also about positively impacting society. I believe that my long-term efforts will eventually bear fruit.

In the best-case scenario, what would the world look like if your art achieved its goal?

In my ideal world, I see a society that values and cares for its forest heritage, one that prioritizes reforestation and protects nature as a treasure. It’s also a society that pays more attention to the visual arts since most people tend to focus on music or cinema.

What does being a female artist mean to you?

In Africa, especially in Côte d’Ivoire, being a woman and an artist is a challenge. First of all, there aren’t many women in this field. As a woman, painting is a way of asserting myself. It’s not easy because society often reduces women to domestic roles. Female artists are still not fully accepted. My personal experience has had its ups and downs. Art allows self-assertion, but it’s complicated. Generally speaking, gallery owners show interest in women, but they struggle to commit to long-term collaborations with them. They often question whether women can maintain their artistic careers in the long run. This makes some cultural workers hesitant to work with female artists. Personally, since I don’t have children yet, I have time to paint and attend international residencies. But this isn’t usually the case for others, especially after becoming mothers. To succeed as a woman, you have to make significant sacrifices.

Who are your role models?

Mathilde Moraeau, Joana Choumali, and Françoise Nielly.

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Artist’s Statement

Toward Happiness, 2024

Acrylic on Canvas, 100 x 100 cm

This painting is titled Toward Happiness. You’ll notice a chiaroscuro contrast. The darkness represents challenges for me, while the fragments of light symbolize the efforts and struggles we undertake to overcome these challenges and move toward happiness. You’ll see here a strong presence of light toward which a female figure is moving—this figure is, in a way, myself. I work with silhouettes, making this something like a self-portrait. My work is deeply focused on chiaroscuro because these fragments of light not only represent illumination but also musicality. In this piece, I use very soft, subdued light. While I do work on nature, my primary goal is not to represent it as it appears, but as I feel it. It is the conceptual aspect I aim to convey.

DakArtNews