monday morning eye candy: Baba Wagué Diakité
From his website:
“Wagué had his first solo exhibition in 1988 at the Jamison Thomas Gallery in Portland, Oregon and since has shown in group and solo shows throughout the United States. His work has received critical acclaim in international magazines such as American Ceramics, Ceramics Monthly, African Arts, and AFRIQUE/Etats Unis. He taught in the Oregon public school systems through the Art-in-Education, and the Young Audiences program from 1989-2007. He has traveled throughout the U.S. for author visits and workshops, including the Museum of African Art at University of Iowa, the Holter Museum of Art in Montana, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Museum of African Art. He has been commissioned to create poster designs for a number of city-wide art festivals, and was honored to be chosen to create the artworks for recipients of the 1990 Governor’s Arts Awards in Oregon. In 2001, Wagué created an 84′ long mural and other artworks for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge in Orlando, Florida. Baba Wagué Diakité is represented by Pulliam Gallery of Portland, OR.
Wagué is founder and director of the Ko-Falen Cultural Center in Bamako, Mali, which enables artists and travelers from other countries to live, meet, study and collaborate with artists of Mali. The Ko-Falen Cultural Center encourages cross-cultural exchanges through art, dance, music and ceremony to promote a greater understanding and respect between people. Ko-Falen also manages education programs for youth of artisans in Mali. Visit www.ko-falen.org for more information.”
