ABDOULAYE KONATÉ
Primo Marella Gallery
Primo Marella
via Valtellina 66 - Milano
dal 10/4/2013 al 10/5/2013
Primo Marella Gallery is pleased to present the first solo exhibition in Italy by the Malisian artist Abdoulaye Konate.
Born in 1953, Abdoulaye Konate studied art in Cuba, after a training at the National Institute of Arts in Bamako. His presence in his country’s history is accompanied by an active commitment to the knowledge and know-how endogenous.The strips of cotton, which have become his trademark, are the witnesses of this commitment to the plastic endogenous research.
This research also covers the dyes and colours.While he further develops the indigenous tradition of cotton, on the other hand he does it not for decorative purposes, but as a symbolic and conceptual framework for his research.This feature can be interpreted as a commitment that the artist keeps to recover not only his memory but also the tradition of his country.Through these means, the artist reinterprets issues such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, the problem of landmines, the genocide in Rwanda and the issue of the environment.
Before the textile, Konate had already used sand and canvas. At every stage of his career, the artist has demonstrated his ability to compete with the greatest contemporary artists of the world, starting from the foundations of a unique African culture: the Mandingue.
Abdoulaye Konaté said about his art practice:
"I can say that in my art there are two well-defined lines of thought. On the one hand there is the purely aesthetic side, influenced by the nature and cultural traditions of Mali, my country, and that determines the colours and the materials of my work."
Primo Marella Gallery
Primo Marella
via Valtellina 66 - Milano
dal 10/4/2013 al 10/5/2013
Primo Marella Gallery is pleased to present the first solo exhibition in Italy by the Malisian artist Abdoulaye Konate.
Born in 1953, Abdoulaye Konate studied art in Cuba, after a training at the National Institute of Arts in Bamako. His presence in his country’s history is accompanied by an active commitment to the knowledge and know-how endogenous.The strips of cotton, which have become his trademark, are the witnesses of this commitment to the plastic endogenous research.
This research also covers the dyes and colours.While he further develops the indigenous tradition of cotton, on the other hand he does it not for decorative purposes, but as a symbolic and conceptual framework for his research.This feature can be interpreted as a commitment that the artist keeps to recover not only his memory but also the tradition of his country.Through these means, the artist reinterprets issues such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, the problem of landmines, the genocide in Rwanda and the issue of the environment.
Before the textile, Konate had already used sand and canvas. At every stage of his career, the artist has demonstrated his ability to compete with the greatest contemporary artists of the world, starting from the foundations of a unique African culture: the Mandingue.
Abdoulaye Konaté said about his art practice:
"I can say that in my art there are two well-defined lines of thought. On the one hand there is the purely aesthetic side, influenced by the nature and cultural traditions of Mali, my country, and that determines the colours and the materials of my work."
