Art: Malian Artist Abdoulaye Konate’s Textile Installations

Abdoulaye Konaté [Mali]

[Image credit: Abdoulaye Konaté – Detail Couple H, 2014.
Mixed media – wood, metal, fabric. 250 x 170 cm (98⅜ x 66⅞ in)
Courtesy of the Artist and Blain|Southern Photographer: Christian Gläser, 2015 via widewalls]

Abdoulaye Konaté is an award-winning Malian artist who produces evocative textile installations. Inspired by colour, which he sees as a potent conveyor of meaning, Abdoulaye’s vividly hued textiles are created using sewing and appliqué techniques to create pieces that range from strips of fabric in graduating shades through to thought-provoking imagery.

[Image credit: Abdoulaye Konaté, – Composition No. 16 (bleu-rouge) 2014,
Textile, 206 x 136 cm, (81⅛ x 53½ in)
Photographer: Christian Gläser, 2015 for Blain Southern]

Abdoulaye uses his work as a medium to comment on global social, political, economic, and environmental issues, such as AIDS, dictatorships, and global inequality, and is especially known for the large-scale mixed-media installations, he produces mainly using textiles. His use of textiles references long-standing West African traditions of using cloth to comment on and mark special occasions. Abdoulaye began using textiles when he could not get hold of canvas and paints, and sources textiles that have either been locally grown and woven or from the cheap, man-made cloths sent to Africa from China and the West.

[Image credit: Abdoulaye Konaté, – Composition No. 10 (vert), 2014-2015,
Textile, 234 x 147 cm, (92⅛ x 57⅞ in) –
Photographer: Christian Gläser, 2015 for Blain Southern]

[Image credit: Abdoulaye Konaté – Detail Composition No. 10 (vert), 2014.
Textile, 234 x 147 cm (92⅛ x 57⅞ in)  – courtesy of the Artist and Blain|
Southern Photographer: Christian Gläser, 2015 via widewalls]

Abdoulaye studied painting in Bamako, and later in Havana, Cuba for about seven years. Returning to Mali Abdoulaye, initially forged a career as a graphic designer at the Musée National in Bweineramako, and is currently the Director of the Conservatoire for Arts and Media in Bamako, Mali. 

[Image credit: Abdoulaye Konaté – Detail Composition No. 9 (orange), 2014.
Textile, 217 x 144 cm (85⅜ x 56¾ in), courtesy of the Artist and Blain|
Southern Photographer: Christian Gläser, 2015 via widewalls]

Abdoulaye’s work has been exhibited all over the world. One of his most recent exhibitions, entitled ‘Useful Dreams’ was held in February 2015 at the Blain|Southern Gallery in Berlin, Germany, and comprised a survey of his work from the 1990s through to present day, and also saw the inclusions of nine new works

For further information about Abdoulaye Konaté visit:
www.blainsouthern
www.tirochedeleon.com
www.widewalls.ch
http://cottonglobalthreads.com/exhibit/abdoulaye-konate/
www.wefaceforward.org/artists/abdoulaye-konaté

[Image credits: All images sourced from, Blain|Southern and Widewalls. If downloaded and used elsewhere please credit accordingly.]