ERNEST DÜKÜ

ERNEST DÜKÜ WAS BORN IN 1958 IN BOUAKÉ, CÔTE D’IVOIRE. HE LIVES AND WORKS BETWEEN ABIDJAN AND PARIS.

 

Trained as an interior architect, Ernest Dükü graduated from the École des Beaux-Arts in Abidjan (1982) and the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (1986). He then pursued a DEA in Aesthetics and Art Sciences at the University of Paris 1 (1990) before obtaining his DPLG architecture degree from the École d’Architecture de Paris La Défense (1991).

 

A visual artist and painter, Ernest Dükü approaches his work as a patchwork of universal narratives. Drawing on a wide range of symbolic references— Ivorian, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Asian, Caribbean, Christian, Islamic, Jewish, and many others—he creates rhythmic and balanced compositions that invite reflection and introspection. His work explores the interactions between the visible and the invisible, the sacred, art, and science, while also addressing socio-political dimensions, particularly around religious syncretism, encouraging a move beyond sectarian conflicts.

 

Through painting, sculpture, and drawing, Ernest Dükü offers a multidisciplinary approach, opening new pathways to understanding the complexity of the world and the profound connections that unite cultures and knowledge.

 

His work has been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world—in Europe, Asia, the United States, Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. He has participated in major biennials and exhibitions, notably the Venice Biennale for the Ivory Coast Pavilion in 2019 and the Paris Noir exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in 2025.