SA Art Showcased On AFCON Stage

Work from a South African artist was on full display at the Africa Cup of Nations opening ceremony in Abidjan on Saturday afternoon.

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Football fans were treated to an eye-catching and culturally rich opening ceremony that kicked off the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast.

A Cape Town-based artist had his illustrations shown prominently at the ceremony and took to social media to celebrate the major moment.

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SA art represented on AFCON stage

AFCON kicked off in spectacular fashion with an incredible opening ceremony before the tournament's opening match between hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan on Saturday. 

The electric show lasted a little over 30 minutes and featured performances from African musicians such as Yemi Alade (Nigeria), Magic System (Ivory Coast), and Mohamed Ramadan (Egypt), with dancers showcasing the sounds and bright colours that are synonymous with the continent and the city of Abidjan.

Overall, the opening ceremony was a vibrant celebration of African arts and culture, brought alive by a wide range of traditional Ivorian dances and some mesmerising on the world class stage design.

Russell Abrahams, a Cape Town-based illustrator, and founder of the illustration studio, Yay Abe — had his work on full display on the opening ceremony stage.

Abrahams collaborated with Cameroonian graphic designer, Maxime Manga for the big project, with their work shown on the carpet and podium of the stage.

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