The exhibition explores the transgenerational dynamic at the heart of artistic creation. Through the artworks of three artists with distinct backgrounds, this exhibition offers a reflection on the evolution of art, where influences, styles and mediums intersect and feed each other, while weaving a link between the past, present and future of the Senegalese art scene.
The first generation is embodied by Pape Daouda Gueye, a Senegalese photographer from the 1950s and one of the pioneers of African photography. His career bears witness to a time when photography was primarily used to immortalize essential moments in life, without necessarily being perceived as a conscious artistic endeavor. His studio, a true witness to the social and cultural history of the time, captured frozen moments that nourish Senegal's visual identity, while marking the entry of art into a more professional and institutionalized dimension.
The second generation is represented by Séa Diallo, a painter who followed in the footsteps of the École de Dakar, a major figure in Art with a singular figurative approach. Following in the wake of Senegal's first post-independence cultural initiatives, this total artist and militant for humanity inscribed his work in a desire to upgrade art in Africa, while remaining deeply rooted in Senegalese visual traditions. His paintings, produced on glass or canvas, bear witness to a quest for academic and international recognition combined with the affirmation of a strong cultural identity.
Finally, the third generation, that of self-taught painter Alioune Badara Diop, continues this lineage by breaking away from certain academic codes to devote itself to a more abstract personal expression, nourished by the heritage of previous generations. His artworks, inspired by Dakar's urban environment, represent a contemporary re-reading of the urban world and its dynamics, and are reminiscent of his predecessors from the "École de Dakar", artists he frequented in his youth. Through his colors and forms, this artist explores the tensions between tradition and modernity, and confronts past influences with the reality of a constantly evolving Senegalese society embedded in today's world.
This exhibition highlights the continuities and ruptures between generations of artists, underlining how inspirations intersect and transform over time. The dialogue between photography, figurative painting and abstraction traces the history of an artistic practice in constant mutation, in response to Senegal's social, cultural and political challenges. The common thread running through this exhibition is the idea that art, far from being defined solely by its era or medium, is a genuine act of transmission and exchange between generations.
Click here to see the digital installation on Artsy and all the artworks!
Copyright: Jendalma Art and Design
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