Ouagadougou: It is through 27 works by 12 resident artists in Burkina Faso that the collective of ”Arts naïfs” committed to “painting to resist” on the occasion of the launch of the 1st edition of the international biennial of naive arts, indicated its promoter, Maxime Sondo.
‘For this 1st edition, 12 artists of the naïve genre exhibited 27 works from the angle of resistance, because there is a way to remain optimistic through art,’ said the promoter of the naïve arts collective, Maxime Sondo.
For him, naive works are distinguished by their bright colors, their simplified and expressive shapes by restoring popular culture, scenes of daily life, the joy of living, portraits of animals and historical events.
Sondo also specified that the objective of this 1st edition is to highlight this artistic genre which emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, to promote it and to introduce it to many people.
For his part, the exhibition curator, Dr Arouna Yaméogo, suggested that ‘you will find in the exhibition
works, the dimension of a call to return to our cultural sources to find the strength to reinvent our daily lives, to find the means to resist and fight against terrorism which requires resilience’.
He noted that this artistic style is often associated with self-taught artists or artists without formal academic training. Thus during this biennial, several communications will be on the program for a good knowledge of naive arts.
With his two works, the exhibitor Seïdou Nassarmadje looked at the educational question because in the current situation that Burkina Faso is experiencing, ‘education is the important factor in the inculcation of our values and the culture of peace and cohesion.
For the painter, Souleymane Sawadogo, ‘despite the situation that the enemy makes us endure, I remind people of respect for tradition through my works.’
Coming for the visit, the Nikièma brothers say they are amazed by the beauty and originality of the different works and appeal to the population to take a look.
As a remin
der, the 1st edition of the international biennial of naive arts will be held from March 23 to 29, 2024 at the Maareere workshops located in the Tanghin district of Ouagadougou.
Source: Burkina Information Agency