Abdoulaye Konaté is a Malian artist. In his installations, Abdoulaye Konaté speaks to the West African textile tradition, using these cloths as a vehicle for commemoration and communication. He combines painting with textiles, making powerful commentaries on political and environmental issues: the encroachment of the Sahel; the impact of AIDS on society and individuals; deforestation; and dictatorship have all been themes explored in his work. He questions the political, social, and economic scenes in contemporary Mali whilst showcasing his aesthetic and formal concerns.
In 2008 Konaté was nominated for the Artes Mundi 3 prize in Cardiff. Other awards he has received include the Officier de l’Ordre National du Mali (2009); the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France (2002) and the Leopold Sedar Senghor Prize at the Dak’Art Biennale (1996).
His work has featured in several international group shows including ‘13th Havana Biennial’ (Cuba, 2019); ‘Dak’art Biennale de l’Art Africain Contemporain’ (Senegal, 2018); ‘La Biennale di Venezia’ (Italy, 2017); ‘ART_TEXTILES’, The Whitworth (UK, 2016); ‘Eva International Biennale’ (Ireland, 2016); ‘19th Contemporary Art Festival Sesc_VideoBrasil’, (Brazil, 2015).
Solo exhibitions include ‘Couleurs d’âme’ at Blaine Southern New York (US, 2019), a retrospective at ARKEN Museum of Modern Art (Denmark, 2016) and ‘Symphonie en Couleur’ at Blain|Southern (UK, 2016). He was also commissioned for Iniva’s 2011 window display in which he explored issues around global diversity using the plumage of the guineafowl.
Born in Diré, northern Mali, he studied painting at the Institut National des Arts in Bamako and then at the Instituto Superior des Arte in Havana, Cuba, where he lived for seven years before returning to Mali. He Much of his large-scale work is textile-based though he is a multi-disciplinary artist and has also worked with installation.
is the Director of the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers Multimédia Balla Fasseké Kouyaté in Bamako.
Konaté lives and works in Bamako, Mali.