OUSMANE BA in Lac Rose.

Ousmane Bâ, Solo exhibition, Lac Rose.
Maat gallery, thur. 19 Oct, 2023 – Sun. 19 Nov, 2023

Ousmane Bâ was born and raised in Strasbourg, France, where he earned his Bachelor in Fine Arts from l’Institut Supérieur des Arts Appliqués. Now based in Tokyo, Japan, his practice oscillates between drawing, painting, and collage.

Ousmane Bâ notably explores movements and corporal gestures, inviting us to a an harmonious choreography of bodies. Through the act of collage, the Artist gives life to a different kind of imagery, bringing us into his universe filled with serenity and peace.

Highly inspired by the Japanese culture since he was a child, in 2017, Ousmane decided to move to Tokyo. The total immersion in Japanese society, the artistic exchanges and the apprenticeships with craftsmen skilled in ancestral techniques allowed him to de- velop and enrich his style and method, as well as his understanding of the art world.

Bâ’s vibrant and almost cinematic compositions are created using Sumi ink and Japanese natural pig- ments, revealing the artist’s long-time interest in the art of calligraphy as well as in the Japanese tech- niques of printmaking, including the « Moku Hanga » and « Shodo ».

Ousmane’s exile in Japan was also driven by his will to discover a new culture that is neither Western nor African. Paradoxically, this exile allowed him to connect deeply with his African - Senegalese and Guinean – roots.

His work also blend references to his Fulani back- ground, a nomadic and traditionally pastoral com- munity in West-Africa, bringing another important spiritual dimension to his practice.

Thus, Ousmane Bâ’s paintings emerge from a cultural combination between artistic traditions and aesthetic languages of Western, Japanese, and West African art. The artist cites as sources of inspiration the Sou- th-Korean, Japan-based, artist Lee Ufan, the Sene- galese sculptor Ousmane Sow, as well as Jean-Michel Basquiat, among others.

Bâ mostly draws inspiration from diverse images found on the internet, and cites fashion as a major influence to his art. Having a background in graphic design, his creative process often includes digital drawing and « travaux préparatoires » on different softwares, before starting to paint.

Ousmane has taken part in numerous exhibitions in Japan and in the rest of the world. In particular, he has exhibited at the Dakar Biennale in 2022. In Octo- ber 2023, the artist had his first solo show at the Maāt Gallery, in Paris.

In his will to continue to learn more about global artistic practices, in January 2024, Ousmane will be participating to the Black Rock Senegal Residency, a renown artist residency established by Nigerian American artist Kehinde Wiley.