Ibrahim Ballo
Lives & Works in Bamako, Mali
Ibrahim Ballo's paintings are inspired by the women of his community in the rural Sénoufo region of Mali, who weave cotton for clothing. His masked subjects engage a reflection on identities while stretching the concept. Associated with the knotted threads, the networks of lines drawn in acrylic intersect creating a multitude of junction points.
Carrying within it stories of circulation, migration and appropriation, through cotton Ballo subtly tackles themes of oppression, marginalization and inequality. In L’Esprit Bavard (The Talkative Spirit) Ballo highlights the voices of those so often ignored. Since 2019, denim, very present in Mali, has allowed him to unfold stories that intersect, bind, influence, challenge and respond to each other.
Ibrahim Ballo will be presented by Galerie Carole Kvanevski.
Ibrahim Ballo, L'esthétique féminine, 2022, Acrylic, weaving and cotton embroidery on canvas, 90 x 90 cm. Courtesy of Galerie Carole Kvasnevski.
