A poor student, Ezekiel Messou fled his authoritarian father, a prominent religious figure, and moved to Nigeria at 16. In Lagos (1990–1995), he learned to repair sewing machines: “Fishermen, tailors, and masons are too many, but no one knows this trade…”
Back in Benin, he settled in Abomey and opened his own workshop. In the back room, he records machine models in notebooks and A4 sheets. His early drawings followed technical diagrams, but now they evoke a bestiary with flowing, plant-like curves.
Each drawing is signed “M. Ezekiel” and stamped with his workshop seal: “Ets qui sait l’Avenir * Sewing Machine Repairs * Le Machiniste,” certifying authorship: “No one can steal my drawings.”