Centre de Soleil: Mali, Bamako - 2020

During my residency in Mali (2020), I was inspired by the technique “tchin tchin bari", a technique of painting with sand. I decided to explore this technique with materials such as charcoal and glitter on canvas. The charcoal reminded me of my days in the kitchen with my mother, cooking meals and the charcoal dust that would have to be swept away every day. Glitter is used in rituals of beautification before we go out to socialize. Considering some art materials like oil paint are too cost-intensive for the average African artist, I was also experimenting to see if this particular technique was viable using the said materials to create art. The results were overwhelmingly positive. My approach to this piece was more controlled and deliberate, creating symbols and patterns inspired by Malian ideograms I saw on my creative journey in the country.

Continuing with my experimentation with the “tchin tchin bari" technique, I created a second piece. This creative experiment was a lot less controlled than my other submission. In this, the glue base is poured onto the canvas and folded in half to create an underlying symmetrical pattern before the charcoal dust and rock glitter are added. The art piece is layered further by adding colorful patterns by drawing onto the canvas with an eraser. The results resemble the patterns on an African woman’s Kanga or Kitenge that women often wear when carrying out their daily work. I consider this piece a continuation of my exploration of female centered themes through recreating iconography and symbolism commonly associated with the everyday African woman from any culture or geographical location of this diverse continent..