- Title: Ivorian painter with no arms or legs inspires many
- Date: 21st October 2019
- Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (SEPTEMBER 27, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ARTIST, ADAMA TRAORE DRAWING WITH PEN IN HIS MOUTH TRAORE RAISING AND FLIPPING BOTTLE OF PAINT TRAORE POURING PAINT ON A BOARD TRAORE MIXING PAINT VARIOUS OF TRAORE PAINTING (SOUNDBITE) (French) ARTIST, ADAMA TRAORE, SAYING: "When I was a child, my mum sent me to this white lady named Marie-Odile in a center for the disabled in Abobo BC (Abidjan neighbourhood). I learned to paint there. I worked with gouache, markers. Thanks to her today, we were more than 100 disabled people in the Providence center. The lady passed away and I ended up in the streets." TRAORE PAINTING TIME-LAPSE OF TRAORE PAINTING (MUTE) (SOUNDBITE) (French) ARTIST, ADAMA TRAORE, SAYING: "When the lady passed away in 2002, it was very hard. When I had to move, taxis refused to take me. When I stopped them, they said -- 'He won't pay.' But thank God, I was sitting near the Pharmacie Etoile in Abobo. I was drawing, and people gave me scraps, some throw them at me. They came to see me. They were surprised." TRAORE HANDLING AND LOOKING AT HIS PAINTING PAINTING TRAORE LOOKING AT HIS PAINTINGS TRAORE KISSING HIS WIFE GOOD-BYE AND LEAVING HIS HOME TRAORE WALKING TO GET INTO THE TAXI TRAORE CLOSING TAXI DOOR TRAORE IN REAR-VIEW MIRROR VIEW OF THE ROAD IN THE TAXI (SOUNDBITE) (French) TAXI DRIVER, DAOUDA KONE, SAYING: "Everyday, I pick him and drop him off and the evening again, I take him back home. Honestly money doesn't matter, it's courage. When I see him, a man like this, every morning he gets out, spends 4,000 (CFA Francs) back and forth. 4,000 in the morning 4,000 in the evening. That's too much. Because he's our brother, we reduced the price. We take 3,000 francs in the morning, 3,000 francs in the evening." TRAORE LOOKING AT HIS PAINTING TRAORE WIPING HIS PANTING PAINTING (SOUNDBITE) (French) ARTIST, ADAMA TRAORE, SAYING: "Painting heals, painting boosts morale, painting cleans the spirit, painting made me become Traore Adama. If I didn't paint, I don't know what I would do. I can't be a carpenter, I can't be a mason. But I do paint. If I'm just sitting here, people would say "this one is doing nothing, he's a beggar". But when they see me working, they're saying 'this one, is a worker'." VARIOUS OF DISABLED PEOPLE BEGGING ON THE STREET WOMAN GIVING MONEY TO DISABLED MAN IN WHEELCHAIR MAN IN WHEELCHAIR SHAKING COINS IN HIS HAND DISABLED MAN SITTING IN FRONT OF CAR VARIOUS OF TRAORE SHOWING HIS PAINTINGS TO HIS FRIENDS PAINTING
- Embargoed: 4th November 2019 10:06
- Keywords: art disabled paint ivory coast abidjan painting
- Location: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
- City: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001B21LM53
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Adama Traore a 40-year-old disabled street artist from Abidjan credits painting for keeping him off the streets.
Traore was born without arms and legs and joined a center for disabled youth when he was 9-years-old.
There with the help of head teacher, Marie-Odile Bilberon he learned how to paint.
"When I was a child, my mum sent me to this white lady named Marie-Odile in a center for the disabled in Abobo BC (Abidjan neighbourhood). I learned to paint there. I worked with gouache, markers. Thanks to her today, we were more than 100 disabled people in the Providence center. The lady passed away and I ended up in the streets," Traore said.
Traore says he faced difficult times in the streets of Abidjan but he refused to give up on his dream to become an artist.
"When the lady passed away in 2002, it was very hard. When I had to move, taxis refused to take me. When I stopped them, they said -- 'He won't pay.' But thank God, I was sitting near the Pharmacie Etoile in Abobo. I was drawing, and people gave me scraps, some throw them at me. They came to see me. They were surprised," he said.
He used his talent to create paintings on various subjects including landscapes and portraits for sale.
Traore slowly saved up some money from his artwork and used it to open a small art studio.
He is now married and keeps on inspiring people every day.
Taxi driver, Daouda Kone drops him to and from work every day.
"Everyday, I pick him and drop him off and the evening again, I take him back home. Honestly money doesn't matter, it's courage. When I see him, a man like this, every morning he gets out, spends 4,000 (CFA Francs) back and forth. 4,000 in the morning 4,000 in the evening. That's too much. Because he's our brother, we reduced the price. We take 3,000 francs in the morning, 3,000 francs in the evening," said Kone.
Traore says painting is therapeutic and helps to lift the spirits.
"Painting heals, painting boosts morale, painting cleans the spirit, painting made me become Traore Adama. If I didn't paint, I don't know what I would do. I can't be a carpenter, I can't be a mason. But I do paint. If I'm just sitting here, people would say "this one is doing nothing, he's a beggar". But when they see me working, they're saying 'this one, is a worker'," he said.
Traore's paintings cost 84 dollars and above.
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