Jacob BLEU’s artwork celebrates cultural identity, social harmony, and the transformative power of art. Using vibrant colors, mixed media techniques, and recycled materials such as canvas, cardboard, and tarpaulin, he creates compositions that explore themes of mysticism and collective memory. His works transcend regional boundaries, incorporating elements from the Dogon, Bantu, and Maasai cultures, while also reflecting the ceremonial practices of various Ivorian ethnic groups, such as the Senufo, Abidji, and Odjoukrou. Through these reimagined cultural landscapes, Jacobleu’s art becomes a powerful vehicle for promoting peace and social cohesion.
Beyond his visual art, Jacobleu is an active cultural advocate and educator. He served as a professor of pictorial expression and has nurtured generations of artists who now shine in the contemporary art scene, including notable names like Aboudia, Amakan, and Norocos. As a writer, his pedagogical book Les artistes et la société, published in May 2020 by Harmattan Editions in Paris, contributes to the documentation and understanding of African art history.
Jacobleu’s impact extends beyond his art studio. He is the initiator of numerous art projects, including the International Meetings of Digital and Visual Arts of Abidjan (RIANA), the Festival International des Arts Visuels d’Abidjan (AVA), and the "Pièce Unique" gallery in collaboration with the Fondation Bénédicte Janine Kacou Diagou (BJKD). His vision for making art accessible to all materialized in 2024 through a collaboration with JCDecaux, where his work was showcased on over 400 public displays across Côte d’Ivoire, transforming bus stops and billboards into open-air galleries.
Internationally acclaimed, Jacobleu has participated in exhibitions and professional events across Africa, Europe, and North America, showcasing his work in countries such as France, Canada, Germany, Spain, and Italy. His art was recently featured at the Palazzo Pisani-Revedin during the Venice Biennale ´24. Jacobleu’s exceptional contributions to the arts have earned him numerous accolades, including the title of Chevalier of the Order of Cultural Merit and the Côte d’Ivoire Excellence Award for Visual Arts and Cinema in 2016.
Based in Abidjan, Jacobleu continues to create, teach, and advocate for the arts, while frequently traveling to Paris for his artistic endeavors. Hyperactive and passionately engaged, he remains a vital force in the promotion of African art and culture on the global stage, inspiring new narratives and reimagining the possibilities of contemporary artistic expression.
