San Francisco Frontiers - Artists abandon Abidjan for Ivory Coast beachside haven

Ibrahim Ketoure has thrown open his studio and gallery to other artists, who like him became jaded by their time in the vast economic hub, Abidjan, 30 kilometres (19 miles) away.

The heat seeps through the windows of the colonial-style building surrounded by palm trees which over two years has blossomed into a haven of creativity.

With its six million residents, Abidjan is an "urban conglomeration, traffic jams everywhere, while in Grand-Bassam life is good," Ketoure, in his 30s, told AFP.

"There's the beach, the lagoon, it's quite relaxing in order to have an artistic frame of mind," he added.

Under French imperial rule, the southwestern town was Ivory Coast's capital, with the mix of people who settled there making it a centre of arts and culture.

The old quarter where vegetation clambers across the facades of ruined colonial-era houses and winds it way through windows was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012.

Serge Nean finds inspiration in the sea and crafts jewellery out of the shells washed up by the waves a hundred metres (yards) from the atelier.

On its terrasse, Cape Verdean Jean-Philippe Goncalves sketches -- the former industrial cleaning worker ended up staying in Grand-Bassam to become a landscaper.

Down the street, sculptor Paul Akossi has a small gallery where he makes masks and colourful statues.

"When I'm not in my studio, I try to visit a friend who also makes art to try and find inspiration through his work," he said.

Historian and tourist guide Akueson Nandouhard said artists had arrived in their droves.

"There are hundreds of artists who have left Abidjan and come here," he said.

- Artistic capital -

Everyone agrees: Grand-Bassam is inspiring, with a past steeped in artisanal crafts.

Burkinabes and Malians, arriving on the Comoe River at the dawn of the 20th century, brought bazin, batik and indigo fabrics.

Blacksmiths and bronze workers came from elsewhere in the region.

An artisans' village sprung up and still exists on the town's threshold.

After independence in 1960, Grand-Bassam turned into a popular seaside resort and became one of the country's top holiday destinations, Nandouhard said.

It still lures many and is set to host a contemporary art museum next year, Culture Minister Francoise Remarck has announced.

George Yao, who founded a hub for visual artists, said the centre received "several hundred visitors a month".

French rapper Ichon recently spent time in Grand-Bassam as part of an initiative by Ivorian designer Jean-Servais Somian to bring over artists.

However, the town lacks the big galleries on offer in Abidjan and many artists have to find ways to fund themselves.

A deadly post-election crisis in 2011 and a jihadist attack five years later on a Grand-Bassam beach which killed 19 people have also hit sales, artists say.

"There aren't enough buyers anymore," said Yao Simplice Yao, founder of a ceramics centre, who complained his sales had slumped by a quarter since he opened 42 years ago.

I.Rodriguez--SFF