Prince Toffa

The series "The Drummers and Their Drumbeats" by Ghanaian filmmaker Anita Afonu, commissioned by Culturescapes, focuses on a selection of artists whose works are presented in scope of Culturescapes 2023 Sahara. Prince Toffa is the artist name of Boris Abbas, a creator and designer with an atypical, self-taught background. Born in 1977 in Benin, he lives and works in Benin. Initially a stylist, then a painter, he returned to styling in a more plastic and monumental dimension. Faced with the cost of fabrics, he uses ordinary objects: tubes of ointment, cans, cigarette butts, etc., which he assembles to build imposing outfits that he links symbolically to Beninese royalty and divinities. Far from trying to recreate royal pomp, he invents new forms, such as his large headdresses made of added hair. These creations can be seen in urban performances.