Médéric Turay

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Médéric Turay, rap artist
Médéric Turay first began to make a name for himself as a rap artist. In 2003, the year he published his first album “Ma route est longue" he was nominated Best Rap Artist, Ivory Coast at the MTV Awards. Médéric has performed concerts in the USA as well as in other countries such as France, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal where he has recently recorded the track "Hero" featuring Senegalese rap band DA BRAINS.
Médéric Turay, painter
In 2005, viewers of Ivory Coast's tv programme « Passionaria », discovered that the rap artist also had a great talent as a painter. His first solo exhibition was held at the gallery that discovered him as a painter, Arts Pluriels in Abidjan. This show was followed by an exhibition in 2009 at the Hotel Sofitel Ivoire in Abidjan and in 2012 he exhibited his work at the Modern Arts Gallery in Atlanta and Washington D.C.

Médéric Turay, a street artist that traces mankind
In his work, an artist needs absolute frugality, to be limited, to start with basic elements. Médéric Turay's canvases give the entire space over to spontaneity, rubbing shoulders with the symbols of Afro-American culture. These simplified symbols and choice of materials are picked up during his travels, on streets and during chance encounters. His polysemous symbols tend towards a universal reading and his graffiti traces mankind, whether on the walls of a cave or on walls in a city.
In his canvases, the subjects, the montage and objects from a variety of backgrounds are all part of a whole, like pieces of a game that can be joined or juxtaposed. His wish: that his creations become the vehicle for spectators to travel mentally to another place or time in history. Defying time, his writing immortalizes simple or complex things... By means of his contemporary urban art and social issues such as racism, war or homophobia, Médéric Turay traces mankind.

Studies

1997 – 2001 : Centre Technique des Art Appliqués Bingerville, « CTAA » Abidjan, Ivory Coast
2001 – 2003 : Académie des Beaux Arts de Cocody, « Insaac » Abidjan, Ivory Coast
2003 – 2005 : Atelier International Abidjan et Paris

Solo Exhibitions

2018
- "African Dandy", Out of Africa Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2017
-  "African Dreamer", Gallery 38, Casablanca, Maroc
2016
- Collaboration with Donwahi Foundation & Abidjan Airport  Salon VIP
- Marrakech Biennale
2015- Unlimited Morocco. BCK gallery Marrakech
- “Afric’Art is Beautiful” Cherkaoui Foundation, Tanger, Morocco.
2014
- Gallery “Sulger Buel Lovell”, “Liberation unmasked”, London, UK
- Gallery “Out of Africa “Traces of Humanity” , Sitges, Barcelone, Spain.
2013
- Centre Culturel Français, Ivory Coast
2012
- “Art and integration in Africa” chez Sea Plaza Dakar-Senegal.
2010
- «Je viens de là», Cergy-France.
2009
- “Croix Rouge”, Ivory Coast.
2006
- Hotel Sofitel « Miroir », Ivory Coast
2001
- Gallery “Art pluriel”, Ivory Coast
1999
- “L’Enfance” Embassy of Italy in Ivory Coast
- Art Gallery “Art’Essence“, Ivory Coast

Group Exhibitions

2015
- Abidjan Art Festival (AAA) Donwahi Fondation, Ivory Coast
- N2N gallery Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- "6 artists one Africa", Chelsea gallery, London, UK
- Galerie Zandi, Berlin, Germany 
- " Africa plural", Out of Africa Gallery, Barcelona, Spain 
2014
- Selection par “Saatchi Gallery”, London, UK
- Jack Bell “Gallery Art prize”, London, UK
2011
- ”Arkadi”, Centre Culturel Français, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
- Mairie ville, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
- “ART from Africa” Guishard solution, Washington DC, USA
2009
- ”Sifcom” Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Other Experiences

2017
- ARTX, Lagos, Nigeria- AKAA Fair, Paris, France
- AMREF Auction, New York, USA
- Street Art Project, Murcia Museum, Barcelona, Spain
- Mural Mohamed VI Museum, Morocco
- "Rabat Afrique en Capitale", Morocco
- Commissioned work for Nike and Chelsea, London, England
- Commissioned tramway, Morocco
- Commissioned train wagon, ONCF, Morocco
2016
- Marrakech Biennale, Morocco
- AMREF Auction, New York, USAÇ
- International Contemporary Art Fair, Lyon, Art3F, France
2015
- Artist in residence,  Fondation Donwahi, Ivory Coast
- Chiswick-auctions sales, London, UK
- Artist in residence Morocco Marrakech, Caravan Serai
- Artist in residence Morocco Tanger, Matisse room
- International Contemporary Art Fair Mulhouse/Art3F, France
- International Contemporary Art Fair Paris/Art3F, France
- International Contemporary Art Fair Bordeaux/Art3F, France
- International Contemporary Art Fair Nice /Art3F, France
2014
- Commissioned Mural Barcelona-Sitges, Spain
2013
- Auction Sales « Fondation Eboué Emanuel », Ivory Coast.
- Auction sales Hôtel Golf for the “Fondation Didier Drogba”.
- Auction sales «ONG grand coeur Yaya Touré»
- Auction sales «Save the Children» in collaborationwith Moët & Chandon

Private Collection

Mr Charles Saatchi, London
.Mr Ethan Cohen, New York."Collections",
S.M. the King of Morocco Mohamed VI
Cécilia Sarkozy, France.
Didier Drogba Foundation. 
Fondation Donwahi, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory coast).
Private Germany Collection.Private Spanish collection
Kyo Noir Collection Italy
Dubai Private Collection
Museum Mohamed VI Morrocco
Museum Murcia Spain.