User:CoumbaS/Omar Ba

Omar Ba

Preview

Omar Ba is a senegalese contemporary artist. He's known for his incredibly thought provoking mixed media artworks conveying the violence of colonization. His work is meant to see Africa through a black perspective and not the usual Euro-centric viewpoint. Ba has had exhibitions in many cities worldwide including Dakar, Paris, Geneva, Baltimore and more. His insperation comes from seeing firsthand the effects of the French colonization in Senegal.

Early life

Omar Ba was born on February 10, 1977 in Dakar. As a young boy he was always a fan of the contemporary art scene and was sent to the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Dakar, Senegal before furthering his schooling in Geneva, Switzerland at the École Supéreiure des Beaux-Arts. Omar was born just three decades after Senegal gained independence from France, so the nation was very fragile and still recovering from colonialism to Neo-colonialism. A lot of his artwork envokes the black struggle for equality not just in Africa but in America also. With the country of Senegal being over 90% muslim Omar is part of the small unique group of non-muslims. More spesfically he comes from a Serer background, The Serer people of Senegal are a small ethic group stretching from sene-gambia to Mauritania. They reject mainstream religions and believe in one divine God and still uphold a strong connection to nature and its animals. He stated " I have told Muslim friends in Senegal that the only time I connect with God and the deities is when I am painting." (Odufu, Omar ba with Emann Odufu)

Inspiration

As stated previously Ba's work is inspired by the black diasporic struggle. Frances colonization on the small nation of Senegal is one that they are still recovering from. His art work beautifully encapsulates the horrors black people continue to face in societies today. Omar Ba also tries to bridge the gap between the African-American and African communities. Despite the shared struggle for rights, the communities are always at odds with diapora wars frequenting since the age of social media. However, differences were put aside during the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020. A movement that united all black people across the world. With Omar having already made a name for himself in Africa and Europe he thought it was crucial to have that same effect in America. He states "My stay in the US and at the ISCP residency allowed me to meet curators and get in touch with the American art scene...The second thing linked to the fact that I was in the US at this time is that I was able to witness the Black Lives Matter movement, and the American elections, which allowed me to see that in terms of civil rights, there are many things to improve." Truly, his work shows struggles faced by all Africans not just Senegalese people. "Other discursive paintings acknowledge wounds: the devastating effects of fake news, the Transatlantic slave trade, US and NATO-led invasions of Iraq and Libya, war in the Sahel, and the farcical concert of the world incarnated in the United Nations Security Council." (Abdessamad, Omar ba paints the pride and pain of the colonized, 2023)m

Exibitions