OUR PERSONALITIES OF ART – Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé (Benin)

Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé with his father’s work.

Yves Apollinaire Pèdé: Ogou (‘God of Iron’, purchased for Joanna Weber’s collection in 2026)

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

236 x 167 cm, Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

The modern contemporary art scene in Benin is shaped by personalities who create art rooted in the traditions of their ancestors. One of them is undoubtedly Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé. Born in Benin in 1992, he is the eldest son of the renowned Beninese voodoo painter and sculptor, Yves Apollinaire Pèdé (1959–2019). His father’s work is included in the UNESCO Art Collection[1].

In his work, Arnold Jean Claude continues the artistic legacy of his great father, who gradually developed an interest in textile art, drawing inspiration from Haitian and Cuban voodoo artists.

“This profession that I have embraced is both a gift and a legacy for me. When we talk about contemporary art here in Benin, we can name the best. There is Cyprien Tokoudagba and my late father Yves Apollinaire Pèdé, who fought with all his heart and soul. He is an icon. The media don’t talk about it, but today I am grateful that his face is gradually being revealed through us, his children. And I am following his example to evolve. It’s difficult, but we’re trying to keep going,” says Jean Claude A. Pèdé[2].

Pèdé draws inspiration from the court art legacy of the ancient Kingdom of Dahomey, particularly the appliqué on canvas technique popularised by the Yèmadjè family. He also works in painting and sculpture.

Before he became famous for his creative tapestries, he followed in his father’s footsteps by working as a bas-relief restorer in the palaces of Abomey. By incorporating the symbolic elements of his culture and adding his own vision of the world and art, he makes this ancient court art accessible to the general public.

Today, he established a company called ‘L’Entreprise des Frères Pèdé’ (The Pèdé Brothers’ Company), which enables him to run his business. There are three partners in the company: Nantchéwènanmi Lucien, Pèdé Lionel, and himself. The company’s vision is to perpetuate the work of their father. “It is at the end of the old rope that the new one must be woven,” says the artist[3].

Over fifty of his works are presented on exhibition at the Sofitel, formerly the Benin Marina Hotel. His career has been enriched by several exhibitions in Benin and around the world. As a participant in the Benin International Arts Festival, Finab, the young artist was able to access the market. From the outset of his career, he has prioritised the promotion of cultural heritage. A worthy descendant of Houégbadjavi in Abomey, he creates extensive works on voodoo such as Tohossou and Sakpata. Following his father’s work — he was one of the artists commissioned to create the ‘Door of No Return’ in Kpassè, Ouidah.

Inspired by the cultures of Benin, Togo, and Nigeria, the Pèdé family’s works act as ambassadors for these countries’ national cultures, as well as for African culture as a whole. Works from the Pèdé’s family workshop delight with their unique aesthetic and great design potential. This makes them highly sought after by interior designers and private collectors.

One work by Yves Apollinaire Pèdé and two works from Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé’s workshop were already purchased for Joanna Weber’s collection.

1 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Guèlèdé, 157 x 93 cm

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

Guèlèdé is a ceremony practiced by the Yoruba-Nago community and established in the Yoruba-Nago region of Benin, Nigeria and Togo.

Purchased for Joanna Weber’s collection in 2026

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

2 Yves Apollinaire Pèdé ©

Zomadonou

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

‘Zomadonou’ is traditionally spiritual and cultural celebration of bravery in the Kingdom of Abomey.

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

3 Yves Apollinaire Pèdé ©

Zomadonou

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

This work’s leitmotif is the cult of ‘Zomadonou’, a deity venerated by the Fon people who represents the bravery and protection of warriors.

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

4 Yves Apollinaire Pèdé ©

Legba

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

‘Legba’ (also known as Elegua, Elegbara or Èşù) is a primordial deity in the voodoo pantheon of southern Benin.

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

5 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Jungle Forrest

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

Purchased for Joanna Weber’s collection in 2026

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

6 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Ogoun Féraillé

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

‘Ogoun’ is the spirit of war. He was originally an orisha in Yoruba mythology in the Togo and Benin regions. He is depicted wearing the garb of a general, holding a sword, or with an iron bar fixed in the ground in front of the altar.

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

7 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

8 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Gèlèdé, 2009

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

9 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Drumming and masked dances take place at the end of the harvest and during important events such as certain births, deaths and weddings or in times of drought or epidemics. The impressive effects of the ceremony lead the Yoruba people to say that ‘the eyes that have seen the Gèlèdé have seen the ultimate spectacle’.

10 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

11 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique (sketch)

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

12 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique (sketch)

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

13 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

Untitled

Tapestry made using the appliqué technique

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

14 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé in his studio in Benin

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

15 The Pèdé brothers’ company at work

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

16 Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé working on the restoration of artefacts at the Abomey Palace

Photo by Arnold Jean Claude Pèdé ©

The International Virtual Gallery of Art acts as an intermediary in the sale of works from the Pèdé studio.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these works, please contact us by email at weber@webergallery.eu

[1] https://house.unesco.org/en/unesco-art-collection

[2] https://matinlibre.com/2024/10/15/au-sujet-darnold-jean-claude-pede-lautre-artiste-peintre-sculpteur-sur-les-traces-de-son-pere/?amp=1

[3] https://matinlibre.com/2024/10/15/au-sujet-darnold-jean-claude-pede-lautre-artiste-peintre-sculpteur-sur-les-traces-de-son-pere/?amp=1

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