sadikou oukpedjo (b.1970) a Togolese artist now based in Abidjan, crafts his art from the intricate dynamics between human beings and animals, probing into questions of origin and heritage with a lens on African societies. His creative path has been significantly influenced by his mentorship under Paul Ahyi, a prominent Togolese artist, which has broadened his artistic expression to include painting, drawing, sculpture, and the innovative use of materials.

Oukpedjo's artworks frequently depict hybrid figures that merge human and animal forms, engaging with myths, cosmologies, and rituals as vehicles for exploring personal identity and our collective place within the natural world. With his work, Oukpedjo challenges us to reconsider the boundaries between our human essence and our innate "animalistic" traits, probing the origins of these distinctions against the backdrop of West Africa's history of violence and the unseen forces shaping our collective consciousness. Through the nuanced language of his work, Oukpedjo gently yet compellingly invites us to engage with our shared pasts and identities, encouraging the creation of new mythologies that reflect our complex human experience.