Sambou Diouf

“I don’t know who they are, they are hidden behind a mask. We need the key to reclaim our African art history”

The words of Sambou Diouf resonate with an intense sense of nationalistic fervour towards his birth country, Senegal. Born in 1975, Sambou’s paintings deliver a sheer sense of enigma, pain and redemption. Do they play with identity being faceless portraits? Or do they question our being? They are a ridicule and sarcastic light  to the social and political hierarchy.

Born in 1975, Sambou has been globally part of several workshops and residencies. He has actively participated in art programs. A celebrated artist, Sambou has exhibited in countries like Senegal, the USA, Belgium and France. His paintings tend to highlight repetitive signs that symbolise the life of Senegalese society. The repository of abstract forms and imagery follows a deep-rooted belonging to the upbringing and native aspect of Senegal. Focussing on the erasing colonial imprints, his works act as a homage to his country’s predecessors. Hence, he uses the revised forms that have been lost in time in the history of Senegal. Could we state that  he is reflecting upon a deep sense of remorse and reversibility?

Sambou’s figures are common people with distorted faces. The border pushes the limits of lifelike representation. Instead of rendering the reality, he subverts them to pose the existentialist aspects of society. The subversion allows him to oppose the unreal identities, memory, distorted perception and heritage of traditional thought.

Sambou Diouf lives and works in Dakar.