YAKO
MATERIA PRIMA
WHEN HOPE MEETS NATURE
SUPERFICIAL
THE MEMORY OF THE NOMAD
END OF THE WORLD
CV
Exhibitions
Articles
Prizes
Art Direction
CV
and installations. His visual language is deeply rooted in Afrofuturism, through which he blends photography and constructed images to express his African identity and shed light on the societal issues that confront today’s generation.
He studied Filmmaking and Multimedia Computer Graphics at Accra Film School (Ghana).
In 2019, he returns to Ivory Coast and embarks at Voodoo communication Group as a Graphic Designer for three years.
2022 to 2024, he works as an art director at MW DDB, an affiliate to DDB worldwide. He is currently a Senior Art Director
at Africa Currency Network.
He joins in 2020, the Catchlight Student fellowship organized by the renowned photographer Aida Muluneh and Fondation Donwahi (Abidjan). (2020), he marked his first collaborative exhibition in the “Still I rise” exhibition of Aida Muluneh, who became his mentor. He works as a production editor on projects such as “Road to Glory - The Nobel Peace Prize 2020” and “Reframing Neglect - End Fund”.
In 2022, he receives (Coup de Coeur Influencia) with “Circle of Hug” from (l’institut Français du design to participate in the biennale internationale du Design Saint Étienne for Explore Outside The Box - France). His art was showcased at MuCAT (Musée des Cultures Contemporaines Adama Tougara) (Ivory Coast) and Windsor gallery (Ivory Coast) in 2022 featuring series such as “End of the world” and “The memory of the nomade” 2022. 2023, he became part of the 40 artists selected by Vogue Italia,
for the Photo Vogue Festival in Milano (Italy).
2024, he gets selected to be in the Advanced Mentoring Programme of the NOOR Foundation from the Netherlands. He also gets featured in Abidjan Nid’Artistes dedicated to the cultural and intellectual scene of Ivory Coast endorsed by the ministry
of Culture. During the same year he receives the prestigious Chevening Scholarships, from the UK government’s global
scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organizations
for a Master Degree in Photography at The Royal College of Art in London.
2025, he joins ADIDAS x GUAP - THE ORIGINALS CREATOR NETWORK in London UK. “Yako” his photographic series earns the RCA’s Metro imaging and New Photography Awards 2025. He then becomes a runner up for the Jaguar Art Awards 2025.In 2026, he was selected as a finalist in the LensCulture Awards, recognizing him among emerging artists shaping contemporary photography 2026 and was also shortlisted for Visual Art Open 2026.
2024 – 2025 – MA in Photography – Royal College of Art (London, UK)
2015 – 2017 – Diploma in Multimedia Design – Accra Film School (Ghana)
FELLOWSHIPS / AWARDS / RESIDENCIES
2026 - Visual Art Open 2026 - Shortlist
2026 - Lenscuture art photography - Finalist
2025 - The New Vanguard - Arts Meets Culture
2025 - New Photography Prize
2025 - Metro Imaging Award
2025 - Jaguar Arts Awards – Runner-up
2025 - Adidas x GUAP: Originals Creator Network
2024 - Kuenyehia Trust for Contemporary Art – Shortlisted
2024 - 2025 – Chevening Scholarship
2024 - Noor Images – Advanced Mentoring
2022 - Explore – Mention Influencia Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienne Prize
2020 - 35 Awards Photography – Top 10 Abidjan Photographer
2020 - CatchLight Student – Aida Muluneh Masterclass
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 - Freize Week London - Art Meets Culture - London - UK
2025 - Photo Month - Heads of a family with Chandni Raithatha - AMP London & Photobook cafe - London - UK
2025 - Africa Foto Festival – Grand Bassam - CIV
2025 - Royal College of Art - London - UK
2025 - The Television Centre – London - UK
2024 - Noor Images - Université de San Pedro - CIV
2023 - La Nich - Fête de la Musique - Hotel Ibis - Marcory, CIV
2023 - PhotoVogue Festival – Milan - IT
2023 - Africa Foto Festival – Musée d’Abobo - CIV
2024 - Guest Speaker, University of Félix Houphouët-Boigny - Abidjan - CIV
2022 - Guest Speaker, Africa Foto Fair Talk - Abidjan - CIV
PUBLICATIONS
2025 - Source Photography Magazine - London - UK
2024 - Abidjan Nid d’Artistes - Abidjan - CIV
ARTICLES
https://www.africandigitalart.com/zahui-yvann-ivorian-photographer-digital-artist/
https://www.vogue.com/article/photovogue-festival-echoes-1-interview-with-yvann-zahui
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2025 - Ongoing - Senior Art director - Africa Currency Network - Abidjan - CIV
2025 - Creative director & Filmmaker - Adidas and GUAP - London - UK
2023 - Visual Artist - Noor Images - Abidjan - CIV
2022 - 2024 - Art Director / Motion Designer - DDB Worldwide - Abidjan - CIV
2019 - 2022 - Junior Graphic Designer - Voodoo Communication - Abidjan - CIV
2020 - Post-production Editor - Aida Muluneh - Nobel Peace Prize Exhibition Abidjan - CIV
2018 - 6 months - Video Editor Internship - Kofas Media - Accra - Ghana