ALIOUNE DIAGNE

Alioune Diagne uses a technique he developed and has gradually perfected where small modules, which he calls ‘unconscious signs’, cluster together to form a coherent figurative mass. He uses a complex process based on these signs, reminiscent of forgotten calligraphy, to create dynamic paintings that depict daily life in Senegal as well as the everyday experiences of the African diaspora around the world.

For Seede, which means ‘the witness’ in Wolof, Diagne spent several weeks visiting the Senegal coastline. His canvases echo the stories of local fisherman who, equipped only with a pirogue and a net to do their work, are seeing growing foreign industrialisation of the fishing business. As Alioune Diagne explains: ‘To survive, some of them have had to abandon their traditional skills and resort to the illegal practice of people smuggling.’

The deep blue colour and handful of fishing nets covering the walls and floor of the Paris space give the exhibition an immersive not to say dramatic feel. “These are subjects I want to talk about,” says the artisti. “Emigration is still a painful reality today. Up till now, people only envisaged living a successful life in Europe or the USA. I want to show the younger generations that it’s possible to have a future in Africa.”