"Through large-scale tapestries of fringed strips of fabric, Abdoulaye Konaté explores the contemporary relevance of ancient signs and symbols. The Malian artist began working with textiles in the 1990s, when it became clear to him how prevalent they are in our everyday lives, from clothing and home goods to tools and more. This early interest began what's become a research-driven artistic practice, and today, he layers long, stitched pieces of Bazin and Kente fabrics into dynamic, largely abstract works."
"Konaté and his team create each monumental tapestry entirely by hand, from the dyeing process to cutting and stitching. The final layout typically occurs on the studio floor after the artist sketches in marker and digitally refines this preliminary drawing to determine the exact composition. Most works incorporate gradients that begin with lighter colors on the bottom before reaching deep navys, reds, and blacks up top."
Abdoulaye Konaté began working with textiles in the 1990s after recognizing their ubiquity in clothing, home goods and tools. He builds monumental, hand-stitched tapestries by dyeing, cutting and sewing long strips of Bazin and Kente fabric. Compositions are sketched, digitally refined, and assembled on the studio floor. Most works use vertical gradients from lighter hues at the bottom to deep navys, reds and blacks at the top. Patterned motifs emerge from assembled strips, referencing Malian craftsmanship and other global textile traditions. Specific symbols, such as Manding geometric marks and Kalao birds, evoke cultural meanings like wisdom, protection and spiritual communication.
Read at Colossal
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]