As a child, I asked my father — a medical professor — why he always wore a three-piece suit when we spent our summer holidays in Belgium. I had always seen him in simple wax ensembles back in Benin. He explained that it was the only way to be treated with respect as a Black man in Europe. At that moment, one question imposed itself on me: are we Black before we are human?

The 8 Miles Wall is a wall built in Detroit in 1940 to separate houses occupied by white families from those occupied by Black families within the same social neighborhood. Standing 1.80 meters high and stretching 800 meters long, it was not a real physical barrier, but it speaks volumes about the psychological walls deliberately constructed since slavery to enforce difference through color.

From pseudo-scientific studies in the 19th century, designed to “prove” Black inferiority, to human zoos where Europeans discovered their first Black man behind bars while picnicking in the acclimatization gardens, the image of Black people has been manipulated and stereotyped. Exotic imagery from early postcards from Africa, media, cinema, and advertising all contributed to this perception, which persists and crosses continents.

In this series, I draw inspiration both from Jim Crow imagery in the post-slavery United States and from colonial clichés imposed by European powers in Africa, creating a dialogue between these two historical legacies.

The noble savage, Uncle Tom, Aunt Jemima… How, in the 21st century, can we rid ourselves of the laughing, childlike smile of the Banania mascot? This ethnocentric vision, fueled by stereotypes and image manipulation, becomes reality for the viewer. It subtly shapes perception, often unconsciously, and has consequences in the formation of individual and collective identities.

Here, the blackface no longer laughs broadly while rolling marbles. It presents itself with dignity, a symbol of mental oppression, a call to reason, and a challenge to break definitively with difference — with the subjugation and devaluation of one’s fellow human.