The artists telling stories of today's Benin

Walk through Cotonou and you'll see art everywhere — even where you don't expect it. A mural on a school wall. A sculpture made of motorbike parts outside a workshop. Hand-painted signs for barbers and restaurants. Photographs of Egungun masquerades in a gallery. Patterns on a wax-print dress.

Benin has a long artistic history: the royal art of the Kingdom of Dahomey, Abomey appliqué tapestries, bronze and iron sculptures, Vodun shrines and masks. Today, a new generation of artists is building on that history — while telling stories about modern Benin: its cities, its problems, its hopes and its humour.

Who are the artists telling stories of today's Benin, and what are they saying?

Why contemporary art matters

Some people think art is decoration: something nice for rich people's walls. But art does much more:

• It records how people live and feel at a certain time.
• It asks difficult questions about society.
• It makes people laugh, think and argue.
• It connects the past and the present.
• It creates jobs and attracts visitors.

Contemporary African art has become one of the most dynamic parts of the global art world, with major exhibitions, biennales and collectors paying attention. Beninese artists are an important part of that story.

Benin's 2022 exhibition "Art du Bénin d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, de la restitution à la révélation" at the Palais de la Marina in Cotonou showed returned royal treasures alongside works by contemporary Beninese artists — linking past and present in a single show. (Government of Benin)

Romuald Hazoumè: masks from jerrycans

Romuald Hazoumè, born in Porto-Novo in 1962, is one of Benin's most internationally known artists. He's famous for masks made from plastic jerrycans — the containers used across West Africa to carry petrol, often smuggled from Nigeria.

With a few cuts, some hair, wires or other found objects, a jerrycan becomes a face — funny, sad, proud or strange. The works talk about recycling, consumerism, economic survival and the informal fuel trade. Hazoumè has also used jerrycans to comment on the history of slavery and migration.

In 2007, he received the Arnold Bode Prize at documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany, one of the world's most important contemporary art exhibitions. His works are in major collections internationally.

What makes his work powerful is its local roots: everyone in Benin recognises a jerrycan. The art speaks first to Beninese people — and then to the world.

Joke break: A child visiting a gallery once pointed at a Hazoumè mask and whispered to his mother, "That's Uncle's petrol can." His mother whispered back, "Don't tell Uncle. He'll want a percentage."

Georges Adéagbo: the collector of stories

Georges Adéagbo, from Cotonou, creates large installations using objects he collects: books, newspapers, photographs, records, clothes, statues and handwritten notes. He arranges them on the floor and walls to create stories about history, personal memory and global culture.

In 1999, he received an honourable mention at the Venice Biennale, becoming one of the first African artists recognised there in that way. His work shows that art can be like a diary, a library and a conversation at the same time.

Dominique Zinkpè: colour and energy

Dominique Zinkpè is a Beninese painter and sculptor known for energetic, colourful works that mix painting, sculpture and installation. His work often draws on Beninese spirituality and everyday life, including references to twin figures (ibeji / hoho) and Vodun imagery. He has exhibited widely and helped support young artists in Benin.

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." — Edgar Degas

Photography: seeing Benin through the lens

Photographers are documenting modern Benin:

• Léonce Raphaël Agbodjélou, based in Porto-Novo, is known for vivid portraits, including his series on Egungun masquerade costumes. He comes from a family of photographers (his father, Joseph Moïse Agbodjélou, was a respected studio photographer).
• Many younger photographers share work on Instagram, documenting street life, fashion, festivals and daily moments in Cotonou, Ouidah and beyond.

Photography is a powerful way to tell stories about how people live — not how outsiders imagine they live.

Spaces that support artists

Artists need places to show and sell work. In Benin, important spaces include:

• Fondation Zinsou, founded in 2005 in Cotonou by Marie-Cécile Zinsou. It organised free exhibitions of contemporary African art and ran educational programmes for children. It also opened a museum of contemporary art in Ouidah in 2013.
• Independent galleries and art centres in Cotonou and Porto-Novo.
• Festivals such as the Vodun Days in Ouidah, which bring together spirituality, music, performance and visual art.
• Cultural centres such as the Institut Français in Cotonou, which hosts exhibitions, concerts and workshops.

These spaces help young artists get seen and help audiences discover new work. See How a local exhibition reaches a new audience.

The return of the royal treasures

In November 2021, France returned 26 royal treasures taken from the Kingdom of Dahomey (Abomey) by French troops in 1892. These included royal statues, thrones and palace doors.

The return was a historic moment — and an inspiring one for contemporary artists. In 2022, the treasures were exhibited in Cotonou alongside works by modern Beninese artists. Many visitors, especially young people, saw royal Dahomey art for the first time in their own country.

The exhibition sent a clear message: Benin's art isn't only in the past. It continues today. Read more in What a museum can teach beyond its walls.

What stories are artists telling?

Common themes in contemporary Beninese art include:

• Memory and history: Dahomey, slavery, colonisation, independence.
• Vodun and spirituality: not as "exotic," but as living culture.
• Urban life: traffic, zémidjans, markets, noise, informal economy.
• Recycling and consumption: turning waste into art.
• Identity: what it means to be Beninese, African, and global at the same time.
• Environment: coasts, lagoons, climate change.

Street art and design

Not all art lives in galleries. Street murals, graffiti, painted signs and fashion design are also forms of storytelling. Young Beninese designers and illustrators create posters, album covers, clothing and digital art that shape how people see their country.

Designers draw inspiration from Abomey appliqué, Vodun symbols, textile patterns and urban life. Read A closer look at design made in Benin.

Challenges for artists in Benin

Being an artist isn't easy:

• Limited local art market: few buyers can afford original works.
• Few museums and galleries relative to population.
• Limited funding for art education.
• Dependence on foreign institutions and collectors.
• Art often seen as "not a real job" by families.

Pricing work fairly is also a challenge. Read How to price creative work without guessing.

How you can support Beninese artists

• Visit exhibitions — many are free.
• Follow and share artists on social media.
• Buy art, prints or merchandise when you can.
• Bring children to cultural spaces. See Why cultural spaces need young visitors.
• Invite artists to schools.
• Commission local artists for businesses, events and homes.

A mini guide: how to "read" a contemporary artwork

Contemporary art can feel confusing. Try these questions:

• What do I see? (Materials, colours, objects.)
• What does it remind me of?
• How does it make me feel?
• What might the artist be saying about Benin or the world?
• Why did they choose these materials?

There's no single right answer. That's part of the fun.

Art for children and schools

Children who experience art early develop creativity, observation and confidence. Schools can:

• Organise visits to exhibitions.
• Invite local artists to run workshops.
• Encourage students to make art from recycled materials (inspired by Hazoumè).
• Discuss artworks in history and language classes.

See Learning beyond exams: projects children remember.

Art and the economy

Contemporary art also creates jobs: artists, assistants, framers, printers, gallery staff, curators, guides, photographers, event organisers and transporters. International exhibitions bring visibility and visitors. Collectors — local and international — invest in works.

When the government and private sector support art (through exhibitions, festivals, grants and cultural tourism), the benefits spread beyond artists to whole communities.

Benin, told by Beninese artists

Every country deserves to tell its own stories. Beninese artists are doing exactly that — with jerrycans, cameras, paint, fabric, found objects and imagination. Their work shows a Benin that is historic and modern, spiritual and urban, serious and funny.

Next time you see a mural in Cotonou or a sculpture in a market, stop for a moment. You might be looking at the history of tomorrow.

Keep reading: The makers preserving everyday craft traditions, How music changes the way we remember a place, and our Art & Culture section.

Questions

Who are famous contemporary artists from Benin?

Romuald Hazoumè, Georges Adéagbo, Dominique Zinkpè and photographer Léonce Raphaël Agbodjélou are among the best-known.

What is Romuald Hazoumè known for?

Masks and installations made from plastic jerrycans, commenting on consumption, trade and history. He won the Arnold Bode Prize at documenta 12 in 2007.

Where can I see contemporary art in Benin?

At spaces such as Fondation Zinsou (Cotonou and Ouidah), independent galleries, cultural centres and festivals like the Vodun Days in Ouidah.