Raoul Komangni Tchogninou

Raoul Komangni Tchogninou was born in 1994 in Covè, a forested region in central Benin, at the crossroads of the Fon and Yoruba cultures. As early as middle school, he discovered art not as a calling, but as a vital necessity, and very quickly developed his skills in drawing, painting, and sculpture in his native Zou region. He lost his mother at a very young age and had a difficult childhood. He pursued his studies while continuing to find in the practice of art his preferred form of expression—a way of being in the presence of others. By necessity, and given the intensity of his calling to the arts, he devoted himself to woodcarving upon completing his bachelor’s degree. His talent was quickly noticed locally by his patrons—particularly spiritual ones—and for a time he served as a support for Wabi Dossou before striking out on his own.