Groupe Bogolan Kasobané
Encyclopedia
Groupe Bogolan Kasobané is an artist collective from Mali
, West Africa
with a studio and shop in Bamako
and a gallery in Ségou
. Innovators and pioneers in the bogolan
fine art
s movement, the Groupe traveled throughout Mali, researching the bogolan traditions and practices, including the symbolic alphabet, as well as the traditional structure, uses, and colors encoded in bogolan cloths. This enabled them to understand the significance and teachings of the cloths which were in danger of being lost. They abandoned modern art painting methods and have worked with traditional Mali art materials such as vegetal pigments found in clay and plant dyes, using them on locally grown, hand-woven cotton cloth.
, Kasobané means "prison is finished, we are free" which signifies the Groupe's avoidance of materials that are not their own and the use of materials that are naturally occurring in Mali instead.
. The group includes Kandioura Coulibaly, Klètigui Dembélé, Boubacar Doumbia, Souleymane Goro, Baba Fallo Keita, and Néné Thiam.
Their first exhibition occurred in 1978 in Ségou
, Mali and was followed by another the following year in Bordeaux
, France. Since the mid 1970s, the Groupe has used bogolan to adorn boubous
, and have created bogolan ensembles for members of social groups. In 1983, Groupe Bogolan Kasobané was awarded the Laureat du Concours de Peinture first prize at the Salon BIAO, Goethe Institut, Yaoundé
. Their first American exhibition was at the Walter Reade Theatre Gallery at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
in New York City
in 1998. In 2009, its members were artists in residence at the Residential College in Arts & Humanities
at Michigan State University
.
, which received first prize for costumes and set at the 1995 FESPACO
, and Taafe Fanga, which received the prize for art in Japan. Their massive composition, A Tribute to the Anonymous Artists is a tribute to fundamentally anonymous artists.
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
with a studio and shop in Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
and a gallery in Ségou
Ségou
Ségou is a city in south-central Mali, lying northeast of Bamako on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people, on a site about from the present town...
. Innovators and pioneers in the bogolan
Bògòlanfini
Bògòlanfini or bogolan is a handmade Malian cotton fabric traditionally dyed with fermented mud. It has an important place in traditional Malian culture and has, more recently, become a symbol of Malian cultural identity...
fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
s movement, the Groupe traveled throughout Mali, researching the bogolan traditions and practices, including the symbolic alphabet, as well as the traditional structure, uses, and colors encoded in bogolan cloths. This enabled them to understand the significance and teachings of the cloths which were in danger of being lost. They abandoned modern art painting methods and have worked with traditional Mali art materials such as vegetal pigments found in clay and plant dyes, using them on locally grown, hand-woven cotton cloth.
Etymology
In the Bamana languageBambara language
Bambara, more correctly known as Bamanankan , its designation in the language itself , is a language spoken in Mali by as many as six million people...
, Kasobané means "prison is finished, we are free" which signifies the Groupe's avoidance of materials that are not their own and the use of materials that are naturally occurring in Mali instead.
History
The Groupe initially consisted of three student from the Institute National des Arts (L'INA) but by 1978 there were five men and one woman, all having studied painting at and graduated from L'INA in BamakoBamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
. The group includes Kandioura Coulibaly, Klètigui Dembélé, Boubacar Doumbia, Souleymane Goro, Baba Fallo Keita, and Néné Thiam.
Their first exhibition occurred in 1978 in Ségou
Ségou
Ségou is a city in south-central Mali, lying northeast of Bamako on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people, on a site about from the present town...
, Mali and was followed by another the following year in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, France. Since the mid 1970s, the Groupe has used bogolan to adorn boubous
Boubou (clothing)
The Grand Boubou/Bubu is one of the names for a flowing wide sleeved robe worn by men in much of West Africa, and to a lesser extent in North Africa, related to the Dashiki suit...
, and have created bogolan ensembles for members of social groups. In 1983, Groupe Bogolan Kasobané was awarded the Laureat du Concours de Peinture first prize at the Salon BIAO, Goethe Institut, Yaoundé
Yaoundé
-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
. Their first American exhibition was at the Walter Reade Theatre Gallery at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1998. In 2009, its members were artists in residence at the Residential College in Arts & Humanities
Residential College in Arts & Humanities
The Residential College in Arts & Humanities is a new residential college at Michigan State University in East Lansing Michigan. Founded October 21, 2005, the college provides around 600 undergraduates with an individualized curriculum in the liberal, visual and performing arts...
at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
.
Works
Groupe Bogolan Kasobané has interests in cultural preservation and historical research. The group formed specifically to revitalize the bogolanfini textile-dying technique, working the traditional cotton cloth created from handspun and handwoven bands. Along with the collective Atelier Jamana, Groupe Bogolan Kasobané is the most successful and best-known producer of bogolan fine art clothing. The Groupe has also contributed costumes and sets for films including Guimba the TyrantGuimba the Tyrant
Guimba the Tyrant is a 1995 Malian comedy drama film in the Bambara language , directed by noted Malian director Cheick Oumar Sissoko. The movie shows the rise and fall of a cruel and despotic village chief Guimba, and his son Jangine in a fictional village in the Sahel of Mali...
, which received first prize for costumes and set at the 1995 FESPACO
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou
The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou is the largest African film festival, held biennially in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The festival is the biggest regular cultural event on the African continent and it mostly focuses on the African film and African filmmakers...
, and Taafe Fanga, which received the prize for art in Japan. Their massive composition, A Tribute to the Anonymous Artists is a tribute to fundamentally anonymous artists.