Bamako Art Gallery

Entre-deux is a duo exhibition showcasing the latest works of Mariam Niaré and Diakaridia Traoré, two artists represented by Bamako Art Gallery. While one is a visual artist, with painting as his preferred medium, the other, a conceptual photographer, draws with light.However, they share two essential aspects in common:

A deep connection to African traditional practices in their creative process,
A focus on experimentation and artistic research.

For both, the goal is not to faithfully reproduce reality in their works, but rather to reappropriate and transform it—to convey their vision, symbolism, and intimate questioning through a unique visual language and style.Through:

The recurring motif of bars and alcohol consumption in Diakaridia Traoré’s paintings, where the act serves as a means of elevation,
The prominence of the human figure and references to purification rituals in Mariam Niaré’s photography.

They both reflect on societal transformations, evolving customs, and the search for identity, particularly among youth, confronted with the shifting landscape of traditional reference points.Their artworks explore rites of passage, that intermediary state between two realities, allowing for a connection to a lived, personal, intimate, esoteric, or spiritual truth. This "in-between" space is emphasized by their artistic approach:

A focus on serial compositions,
An extensive exploration of textures, colors, materials, and forms,
A process of artistic experimentation, culminating in a manifestation of their original inspirations.

Through this experimental approach, infused with a sense of creative magic, these artists become intermediaries or mediums, channeling what has been passed down to them and reformulating it through a new and singular aesthetic. Each of them is anchored in contemporary art, while maintaining a strong attachment to tradition and its essence.Finally, the artwork itself becomes an intermediate space between the artist’s spirit, their legacy, and the viewer. A "between two worlds"—a space open to interpretation, suggestion, and multiple readings.

Entre Deux

Artworks of the exhibition