A few words about your artistic career
Born on 22 January 1979 in Dakar, I am a self-taught artist who attended the studio of Daouda Ndiaye, a renowned art teacher and visual artist. Since my first exhibition in the early 2000s, I have taken part in various group exhibitions in Senegal and France.
How long have you been an artist?
Interested in drawing since primary school, I began my artistic career in 1996.
Why did you apply for this scholarship? How will the scholarship support you?
All cultural events have been cancelled. The Dark'art 2020 Biennial, which had been in the pipeline for several months and was a major source of revenue, has been postponed. I'm affected economically by this situation, and this creative residency will also enable me to advance my creativity by experimenting with other tools and media.
What are your concrete artistic objectives after this residency?
After the residency, I plan to continue experimenting with other media, develop my digital presence and, if possible, prepare an international exhibition, which is currently on hold because of Covid-19.
What did you achieve during this creative residency? What is the result (work created)?
During the "Creativity is life" creative residency, I created a work called Soppi jikkó (change of behaviour), a hand-washer symbolising the fight against Covid 19 in Senegal, made from recycled materials designed by craftsmen. Three people contributed to the creation of the work: a metal carpenter to make the hand-washer, a plumber to install the water system and myself.
**How do you feel these activities are helping you to reflect on the world today, in relation to the COVID-19 crisis, and/or on building for the future?
For Senegal, this crisis has enabled a great deal of inventiveness to emerge on the part of our craftsmen, artists and young designers.
Borders were closed, so people turned to local produce, and the informal sector was very dynamic, which made up for the shortage of certain materials.
In the wake of the Covid crisis, I think our governments should give more help to creators and encourage local consumption.
**How did you feel during the residency? And afterwards?
I didn't encounter any particular difficulties during the residency. I had imagined my work and the result was even beyond my expectations in the design of the shaft by the metalworker: he was very ingenious and made a product better than I expected.
Working on a new medium was very beneficial for me. It allowed me to try out a new technique and use a new working material.
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Soppi Jikkó
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