Baba
Wague DIAKITÉ
[view available works from this artist]
Baba Wague Diakité
was born in Bamako, Mali in West Africa.
"Wague"
, which means "A Man of Trust", spent his
early childhood with his grandmother in the village
of Kassaro where he undertook his "first education".
In Kassaro Diakité tended his uncle's' sheep
and helped in his grandmother's rice and peanut fields.
His free time was spent with friends in the bush,
hunting or watching the animals.
Later Diakité
moved to Bamako to be with his mother and to get formal
education. He maintains that "my best education
came from stories that were told by my grandmother
and mother about animals and the "First People".
Baba Wague Diakité grew up
drawing, first for his own pleasure, then for schoolwork
and finally for part-time jobs. He first learned claywork
after meeting american artist Ronna Neuenschwander
(who was to become his wife), and moving to the US
in 1985. There, he began using the cup and saucer
as his canvas.
Diakité
had his first solo exhibition in 1988, and since has
shown in group and solo shows throughout the US including
New York, San Diego, San Francisco and Houston. His
work has received critical acclaim in Portland area
publications as well as international magazines such
as 'Ceramics Monthly', 'Landscape Architecture', 'African
Arts', and 'AFRIQUE/Etats Unis'. He has taught in
the Oregon public schools through the Art-in-Education
program since 1989.
He has been commissioned to create
poster designs for a number of city-wide art festivals,
and was chosen to create the artworks for recipients
of the 1990 Governor's Arts Awards.
Scholastic, Inc. published Baba Wague
Diakité's first children's book "The Hunterman
and the Crocodile" in 1997. It received a 'Coretta
Scott King Honor Book Award' in 1998. His 2nd children's
book entitled "The Hatseller and the Monkeys"
was published by Scholastic in 1999. He illustrated
a 3rd children's book entitled "The Pot of Wisdom,"
authored by Adwoe Badoe in 2001.
Baba Wagué Diakité and
his wife have collaborated artistically on a number
of projects, including an animated film, a documentary
film of their lives, and a number of public art projects.
They continue to return to Mali with their growing
family every other year for extended stays.
Diakité is presently in the
process of building a cultural center in Bamako, Mali,
to enable artists from other countries to visit and
work with local artists.
source: "African Crafts";
"Ceramics Monthly", December 1994
Selected
Exhibitions
Baba
Diakité GALLERY
