The Black Ocean is a series of 18 appliquéd coton tapestries crafted in Abomey, Benin. Appliqué flourished as a court art in the kingdom of Danxomé from the XVIth century on, till the end of the royal dynasty in 1900. In the course of the XXth century, the dyers and craftsmen have adjusted their art to modern times, adding scenes of everyday life, landscapes and symbols to the traditional motifs that once adorned the emblazoned banners of the old kings.

French artist William Adjété Wilson, whose father was of Togolese and Beninese descent, selected this particular medium to illustrate the story of the Black people from the XVth century to this day, from Africa to Europe and to the Americas.
Wilson complemented his artistic and historical research with a more intimate tale : the saga of his own colorful African family.

The French publishing company Gallimard is launching a large size illustrated book to present the complete series and a well-documented research on the subject (L'Océan Noir, Gallimard, Paris, April 2009).