Quote by Werewere Liking: “Art exists to transform what reality has left incomplete.”

Reality as it is handed to us is always unfinished — full of injustice, suffering, and missed possibilities. Art does not just reflect the world; it imagines and reaches toward what the world could be. This is not escapism. It is the work of completing what existence has started but left broken.

Liking developed her theatre practice in Côte d'Ivoire in the early 1980s, drawing on West African ritual performance traditions to create a new African theatre form. The continent was grappling with postcolonial disillusionment — the liberation hopes of independence had been tempered by coups, economic crisis, and political repression.

Cameroonian-Ivorian playwright, novelist, and visual artist considered one of the most innovative voices in African theatre. Her Ki-Yi Mbock Theatre Company in Abidjan, founded in 1985, became a model for African community arts practice. She received the Prince Claus Award in 2000 for her contributions to culture and development.