Abdoulaye Konaté
Abdoulaye Konaté (1 February 1953) is a Malian artist. He was born in Diré and lives and works in Bamako. Konaté studied painting at the Institut National des Arts de Bamako and then at the Instituto Superior de Arte, Havana, Cuba. Career. Konaté worked as a graphic designer at the Musee National in Bamako. In 1998, he was appointed to be the Director of the Palais de la Culture. He now works as the principal of the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers Multimédia Balla Fasseké Kouyaté in Bamako, Mali. He and his work have received several awards, including  in 2002 the Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mali and Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France. Exhibitions. Group shows. 2014 2012 2010 2009 10. Bienal de La Habana - La Bienal de La Habana, Havana 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Afrika Remix - Zeitgenössische Kunst eines Kontinents - Museum Kunstpalast, Dusseldorf 1998 24° Bienal de São Paulo - Bienal de Sao Paulo, São Paulo 1997 Die Anderen Modernen : Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Afrika, Asien und Lateinamerika - Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin Influences. Combining his painting skills with installation work, he comments on political and environmental affairs. The encroachment of  the Sahel and the impact of AIDS on society and on individuals have been two major themes in his work. His questioning of the political, social, and economic scenes in contemporary Mali is evident in how AIDS, wars, ecological issues, human rights, and globalization affects all aspects of life and individuals within society. Much of his large-scale work is textile-based, a medium that is more readily available than paints. Artes Mundi. In 2008 Konaté was nominated for the Artes Mundi prize. His exhibition included pieces such as "Les Marcheurs" and "Tafo ou la force du verbe". Literature. La  toile d'Abdoulaye Konaté / Joëlle Busca. - Bamako, Mali, Ministère de la culture et Dakar, Senegal, Galerie nationale d'art, 2011. Abdoulaya Konaté / "edited by" Camilla Jalving ... [et al.]. - London, BlainSouthern and Ishøj, Arken, 2016.