Penda Diakité

**Penda Diakité** (born 1992) be a Malian-American visual artist dem know for ein mixed-media collages den film work. Dem born am insyd Portland, Oregon, she grow up between de United States den Mali, West Africa. Diakité ein work dey explore black female identity, often dey tie insyd historical West African culture den traditions.

## Background den education
Dem born Diakité insyd 1992 insyd Portland, Oregon to artists Baba Wagué Diakité (ceramicist den author) den Ronna Neuenschwander (sculptor). She grow up between de United States den Mali, West Africa wer na she spend chaw of ein time insyd ein parents dema art studio wey she dey create alongsyd dem wey she dey learn West African history den traditional Malian arts such as bogolanfini*.*

For age 11 she publish ein first children’s book, *I Lost My Tooth In Africa* plus Scholastic Press wich na dem later feature for Reading Rainbow. Ein storytelling quickly merge into film wey she spend ein adolescent years dey study den dey create film under ein Oregon-based mentor, documentary filmmaker William Donker.

She later study film den video for California Institute of the Arts (2010-2014) wey she receive a Bachelor insyd Fine Arts plus a minor insyd Cultural Studies.  

Diakité move go Los Angeles insyd 2016, wey she establish ein career insyd de Arts.

Insyd 2018 Diakité get ein first major art show, 'Made in America', for de Substrate Gallery insyd Los Angeles.

## Career
Diakité be best known for ein mixed-media collage work, often dey study of female figures dem make from compositing images wey dey depicte African history, popular media portrayal of black people, race den gender constructs. She sanso produce documentary den experimental works insyd film den video wich she exhibit insyd festivals thruout de world. Ein film works dey center around de same themes of West African history, race den gender constructs.

## Exhibitions

### Solo exhibitions

* Mousso-Ya (Womanhood), Band Of Vices Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (November, 2021)
* Diary of a White Black Girl, Nych Gallery, Chicago, IL (May 2021)
* The Cutting Edge, Rogue Gallery, Medford, OR (September 2021)
* Made In America, Substrate Gallery, (Sponsored by The Dean Collection), Los Angeles, CA (2018)
* Adama-den: Humankind, Guardino Gallery; Portland, OR (2018)
* Reflection: Hakili Jagabo, Organic Modernism; Los Angeles, CA (2018)

## Film screenings

* Words From A Silence, film gallery Schräge; Kassel, Germany (2017)
* Words From A Silence and Diary of Reflection, RACC’s Night Life: Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest; Portland, OR (2016)
* Words From A Silence and Diary of Reflection, 22nd Annual African American Marketplace Festival; Los Angeles, CA (2016)
* Words From A Silence, San Diego Underground Film Festival; San Diego, CA (2016) 
* Words From A Silence, ‘Video Guerrilha Campinas’; São Paulo, Brazil (2015)
* Diary of Reflection, Afro Punk Fest; Brooklyn, NY (2015)
* Words From A Silence, Diary of Reflection, Striped, Un Monde de Femmes, Bombs are Toys, in ‘Attaquer Le Visible’ at La Mutinerie; Paris, France (2015)
* Words From A Silence, Positivus Festival; N Latvia, Salacgriva (2015)
* Words From A Silence, Ann Arbor Film Festival Expanding Frames Panel Series; Ann Arbor, MI (2015)
* Words From A Silence, 25th Cascade Festival of African Films; Portland, OR (2015)
* Words From A Silence, Roy and Edna Disney RedCat Theater; Los Angeles, CA (2015)
* Tanti’s Winter Vacation, Roy and Edna Disney RedCat Theater; Los Angeles, CA (2013)
* Diary of Reflection, Riverside International Film Festival; Riverside, CA (2013)
* Un Monde de Femmes, Riverside International Film Festival; Riverside, CA (2013)
* Tanti’s Winter Vacation, 23rd Cascade Festival of African Films; Portland, OR (2013)
* Diary of Reflection, Roy and Edna Disney RedCat Theater; Los Angeles, CA (2012)
* Welcome to Mali, 16th Cascade Festival of African Films; Portland, OR (2008)

## Awards

* The Dean Collection 20 Artists Award, (The Dean Collection, founded by Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean and Alicia Keys)
* BETAir Artist in Residency, Black Entertainment Television
* Children’s Africana Book Award, Best Book for Young Children
* Best Book for Young Children ALA Notable Children’s Book
* The Monarch Award; Illinois K-3 Children’s Choice Award
* Notable Book in Language Arts, National Council of Teachers of English Conference in Nashville, TN
* Featured Book of the Month; Read On Wisconsin 2006 New York Public Library list of
* New York Public Library list of “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing”

## Publications

### Art

* 2020 Powerhouse Lena Waithe and Rishi Rajani Take AD inside their Los Angeles Office, Architectural Digest
* 2020 An Interview With Penda Diakité, Arts Help
* 2019 BETAir, Black Entertainment Television
* 2019 Scholastic Magazine, Story Works featuring I Lost my Tooth In Africa by Penda Diakite
* 2019 Art Reveal Magazine, cover and featured artist
* 2019 Agbowo Magazine, cover and featured artist
* 2019 Plastiq Magazine Penda Diakite Art
* 2018 Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys Launch New Art Grant…, Hyperallergic
* 2018 The Culture Hub, Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys and the Dean Collection bless 20 diverse artists
* 2018 LA Sentinel Penda Diakité Showcases Her Art at the Substrate Gallery
* 2018 Penda Diakité Awarded art grant, The Skanner
* 2018 Interview with artist Penda Diakité, Artfriconn
* 2018 Penda Diakité’s Art Explores POC in America, Afropunk
* 2018 African Digital Art, Art by Penda Diakité
* 2017 Interview with artist Penda Diakité, Professional Artist Magazine
* 2017 Art by Penda Diakité, CAYLX A Journal of Art and Literature by Women
* 2017 Art by Penda Diakité, OOB Magazine
* 2017 Interview with artist Penda Diakité, BLKTICKETCONCEPT
* 2017 Interview with artist Penda Diakité, Akatasia ‘All Things African
* 2015 Interview with contemporary artist and filmmaker Penda Diakité, Akatasia ‘All Things African

### Fashion

* 2017 Interview plus artist Penda Diakité, The Network Journal
* 2016 ‘Rad Creative of the day: Penda Diakité,’ Afropunk
* 2016 PendaWear, Artistic Swimwear, Miss Zeee ‘All Things Bright & African’

### Film

* 2013 Interview KBOO Radio The Film Show, interview on film ‘Tanti and the Neighbourhood Kids’
* 2013 Skanner Newspaper Interview, ‘Tanti and the Neighbourhood Kids’ filmmaker interview
* 2013 Cascade Festival of African Films interview for filmmakers archive
* 2005 Festival Honours Women , The Portland Skanner Newspaper for ‘Welcome to Mali,’ directed by Penda Diakité

### Author

* 2006 I Lost My Tooth in Africa, by Penda Diakité, Scholastic Press
* 2006 PBS Reading Rainbow featured: I Lost My Tooth in Africa by Penda Diakite, Scholastic Press
* 2006 Newsweek magazine, Tip Sheet: Required Reading for I Lost My Tooth in Africa, by Penda Diakité, Nov Issue
* 2006 Black History Month Can Help Kids Dream, by Sarah Miller, St. Louis Post- Dispatch
* 2006 Artists in Residence, by Gabrielle Glaser, The Oregonian
* 2006 Miami Herald Review: I Lost My Tooth in Africa
* 2006 Review in Children’s Corner, by Mary Russell, Chicago Tribune

## References


## External links
* Artist's website