APA – Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) – The architect’s work is recognized around the world and has won numerous awards and distinctions.
Francis Kéré, an architect from Burkina Faso, is one of the winners of the 34th Praemium Imperiale prize, considered to be a kind of “Nobel Prize for the Arts.”
His name appears on the list, published on Tuesday, of architects who have received the prestigious Praemium Imperiale prize.
Mr. Kéré becomes the first African architect to receive a Praemium Imperiale since it was created in 1988 by the Japanese imperial family on behalf of Japan’s oldest cultural foundation.
“Artists are recognized and rewarded for their achievements, for the impact they have had internationally on the arts, and for their role in enriching the global community,” said Japan Art Association, which recognizes artists for lifetime achievement in five fields: painting, sculpture, architecture, music and theatre/film.
Francis Kéré is involved in projects with a high potential for public use, such as schools on the African continent.
The jury for the Praemium Imperiale prize noted: “His references to his African roots can be seen in elements such as the colors of the Sarbalé Ke pavilion at Coachella (2019), the wooden structures of Xylem (2019) at Tippet’s Rise (USA), but also through his constant reference to trees – whether for their central shading role (Serpentine Gallery pavilion, 2017), or because they promote a form of democratic debate.”
The 56-year-old Burkinabe architect has already received several distinctions, from the Pritzker Prize, the “Nobel Prize for architecture,” to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal for Architecture in 2021.
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