Original Artwork by Abdoulaye Thiossane N'Diaye
Abdoulaye Thiossane N’Diaye was a world-renowned contemporary Senegalese artist. The name ‘Thiossane’ means ancestry and tradition in Wolof and appropriately suggested the themes of his life and work. A multi-talented artist, Mr. N’Diaye gained recognition in many areas of the arts.
Mr. N’Diaye was born in the village of Saam, Senegal to a family of traditional ‘griots,’ Senegalese historians, musicians and storytellers. He studied at the Senegalese National School of Fine Arts in Dakar, where he first gained recognition as a sculptor, then later as an actor. He was also a musician and playwright, and was an important figure in the contemporary arts of Senegal.
As an artist-painter, Mr. N’Diaye worked in a number of different media, including oil, gouache, chalk and pencil, and his completed works include tapestry designs, paintings, large wall murals, and illustrations for history texts. His best known composition is the tapestry that set the theme for the Senegalese National Contemporary Art Exposition that toured Brazil, Mexico, the United States, and Canada from 1978 to 1981.
Recordings
Certain themes appear and reappear in Mr. N’Diaye’s work, and here can be found both the genesis and the genius of his art. Born in a family of oral historians and from a very traditional background, his themes and images spring from the very foundations of his culture: legendary figures, historical personages, events of history, traditional spirits, folktale characters, legendary beings and the stories surrounding them, mystical events and traditional rituals, religious themes from Christianity, Islam, and indigenous religions of Senegal.
As a man steeped in Senegalese history and traditions, the variety and scope of his art stand unique among contemporary Senegalese artists. His paintings and tapestries have been exhibited in twelve different countries over the past forty years.
Sadly, Mr. N’Diaye passed on May 20, 2022. All proceeds from the sale of these paintings help support his family in Senegal.