EDOH LUCIEN LOKO (EL LOKO)

Edoh Lucien Loko (El Loko) (1950-2016) was an artist, born in Pédakondji, Togo. He trained as a textile designer in Accra, Ghana, from 1965 to 1968 and it was here that Joseph Beuys saw his work and offered to fund his study at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf, Germany. There he studied Sculpture, Painting and Graphic Art from 1971 to 1979 and expanded his practice, working in photography, poetry, reliefs and creating installation pieces. At first encountered he encountered many clichés surrounding art from Africa within the European (German) art scene, yet through his artistic practice, El Loko successfully defied those clichés which inhibited his expression within the European context.

Regarding this work of his, El Loko states the following, “I have a dream to establish one language for the entire world, create only one way of communication between all human beings on earth. This new way would erase discrimination and racism among all people because they would feel they all belong to the same culture”¦” Throughout his life, El Loko lived and worked between Pédakondji, Togo and Cologne, Germany. Notable solo exhibitions were held at the following spaces: Deutsche Welle (Bonn, Germany: 2006); Oberhessisches Museum (Gießen, Germany: 2007); Dany Keller Gallery (Munich, Germany: 2012) and at the Art Association Hohenaschau (Aschau im Chiemgau, Bavaria, Germany: 2013). His work featured in the following group exhibitions: Documenta11 (Kassel, Germany: 2002); Dak’Art Biennial of Contemporary African Art (Dakar, Senegal: 2005); Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno (Las Palmas, Spain: 2008); Black Germany at the Kunsthaus (Munich, Germany: 2012); and at Johannesburg Art Fair (Johannesburg, South Africa: 2013). Sadly, he passed away in November 2016, just after completing his work which is permanently exhibited at Zeitz MOCAA.