Commentaire :

This tapestry was donated in 1978 by Léopold Sédar Senghor (1906-2001), poet, first president of Senegal, as well as creator of the Senegalese Decorative Art Manufactures (MSDA).

Freedom, the concept of negritude, the dialogue between France and its former colonies, the hope of establishing a Universal Civilization... So many notions which seem implied in tapestries by the Senegalese artist Modou Niang. Designed by Niang and woven by the Senegalese Decorative Art Manufactures, this prestigious wool tapestry is representative of the artists’ work. The title "Ndaanaan" means 'artist' in wolof (Senegalese).

Niang’s preferred subject matter is the bird as a symbol of freedom; it is represented here by the wide-spread wings in the lower part of the composition. The tapestry seems divided in two with, on the one hand, the imaginative depiction of a white bird, and on the other hand a series of geometric shapes in the upper part of the composition which intrigue the spectator. From these geometric shapes emerge three faces whose eyes seem mechanical, as if enslaved. Floral patterns ‘scattered’ across the tapestry's’ surface lighten the composition and link the different areas of lively colors, which in turn bring gaiety and optimism to the work. Niang’s composition is also dominated by rhythm, which L.S. Senghor had defined as :

« The architecture of the being, the internal dynamism which embodies it, the system of vital waves, waves which it emits towards Others, the expression of vital force ».

Artist biography

Modou Niang was born in Dakar (Senegal) in 1945. He was one of the first pupils in the Section for Research in Black Plastic Arts at the Dakar School and participated in the first World Festival for African Arts at the African Arts School in 1966. He was one of the pioneers of the Senegalese Decorative Art Manufactures installed at Thiès in 1966. Today, Niang’s art studio is in the Dakar African Art Village.

Sidy Seck in an article entitled "The School of Dakar: historic reality or intellectual fraud ?", published in the magazine Ethiopie (N°70, First semester in 2003), specified the role of Modou Niang within the school. He also went on to explain the art produced at this school :

"This School is characterized by a figurative, and often stylized, expression of themes linked to past and present events concerning the Senegalese people. The incision of the line (...), the aesthetic nimble shapes of the tapestries, the naivety of the historical paintings, the gay and warm palette of the canvases constitute the mark of these artists who at the time distinguished themselves in this style."