Visionary iconography mapping a journey across continents
This week we welcome Coulibaly Adama Nanguin Abib Junior, known as JANAC, a self-taught Ivorian American artist from Katiola, Côte d’Ivoire, now based in New York City.
JANAC’s visionary practice explores themes of ancestry, identity and culture through a visual language that bridges West African spiritual symbolism, contemporary abstraction, and urban narratives. He uses painting, installation, music, performance, public art and fashion to create immersive experiences rooted in both personal and collective histories.
His ongoing project, The New Pyramid, serves as both an artistic and cultural conduit, reflecting ancestral wisdom and resilience while engaging diverse audiences. Utilizing bold color, geometric forms and textured surfaces, JANAC’s work transforms memory and heritage into intuitive vessels for storytelling that invite reflection, dialogue and empowerment.
JANAC received a degree in liberal arts from the Borough of Manhattan Community College in 2017. His work has been shown at the Van Der Plas Gallery, Spring Break Art Fair, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Federal Equipment Co. & Wombat Capital, ChaShaMa, AZART Gallery and the Outsider Art Fair. A resident artist at That’s Nice, JANAC has also collaborated with Beam Center, HBO and God’s Love We Deliver.
Rooted in his African heritage yet profoundly shaped by his life in New York, JANAC’s practice embodies a dialogue between cultural preservation and artistic innovation. See more of JANAC’s work on his website and Instagram.
