For almost two decades, Anouchka Desseilles, a visual artist who graduated from the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 2002, has been exploring the complex relationship between the West and Africa through her work with sensitivity and depth. Her artistic approach, steeped in travel and social activism, has been recognised in numerous museums and international exhibitions.
Travel and inspiration
Anouchka began travelling to Senegal in 2005, a country that has become a constant source of inspiration for her art. On a landmark trip in 2011, she followed the path of the sacred wood of the Karone Islands in Casamance, helping to prepare for local celebrations. She describes the experience as a privilege, where animism, dance and cruelty coexist with violence and poetry.
Exhibitions and acquisitions
In 2011, Anouchka was in residence at the Musée de la Céramique in Desvres. The museum acquired a public ceramic fresco created by Anouchka and the master potter Anicet Delattre. This work is currently on display in the permanent exhibition of the museum, which was recently renovated in 2024. In 2023, she collaborated with Michel Bohbot for the 150th anniversary of Colette’s birth at the Musée Colette, creating ‘Livres d’artistes’.
Her work was also included in the exhibition ‘Le monde au bout du crayon’ at the Musée de La Poste in Paris, which explored travel books. Anouchka took part in the 2010 Clermont-Ferrand Biennale du carnet ‘Faut aller voir’, consolidating her reputation in the visual arts.
Participation in fairs and biennials
In 2016, Anouchka took part in AKAA (Also Known As Africa), a very popular contemporary art fair in Paris that brings together artists from the African continent and international galleries. In 2022, she took part in the Dakar Biennale Off at BAAT (Bureau d’Art Africain et Technique), run by Hervé Breuil. This venue, close to Germaine Acogny’s Ecole des Sables in Toubab Dialaw, is a lively centre for concerts, cinema and conferences.
