Piniang (Ibrahima Niang) is a painter, video maker and sculptor whose artistic process is based on using a fusion of materials. Once he began working in animation, this influenced his painting style. A theme throughout his work is the evolution of man and his environment, dealing with all aspects of daily life and making work about issues which affect the community.

The paintings Flood in the Suburb 1 and 2 and Power Cut in the Suburb relate to the ongoing problem of power shortages in Dakar, Senegal. On first glance his canvases look like abstract compositions. However they are depictions of the architecture of Dakar plunged into darkness during one of the many power cuts. This urban chaos with its lack of planning regulations, houses built on top of each other and dangerously over-laden electricity and telephone cables affects large numbers of people. Piniang said ‘Everybody sets up homes wherever. People build in their own style, without asking anyone. If a family gets larger, they increase their home.’1

An additional problem is that the government is trying to modernise and wants to build large, prestigious buildings instead of concentrating on basic services like food, water, health, education and transport. Collaged onto the paintings are headlines and quotations from newspapers; ‘Bla bla bla’ suggests the noise levels in the overcrowded accommodation and ‘la Senelec Saccagée’ refers to the sacking of the main Senegalese electricity company. The paintings have a metaphorical as well as literal darkness too, in that Piniang sees no solution to these problems – the issues will get worse as the population increases and he advocates that the politicians start to plan for these long term implications rather than just thinking about their next election victory.

1 Piniang quoted in ‘Piniang s’engage dans les rues du Dakar banlieue’ le Ouest France, 4 April 2011.

Biography

Born in 1976 in Dakar, Senegal. Lives and works in Dakar, Senegal.

Trained at the Ecole Nationale des Arts, from 1995 to 1999 and at the Pictoon Studio in Dakar, Senegal. He runs the Digital Arts course at the Ecole Nationale des Arts, Dakar, Senegal. Recent shows include: Galerie le Douze, Nantes, France, 2010 – 2011; The Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York, USA, 2010; Dak’Art Biennale de l’Art Contemporain de Dakar, Senegal, 2008; Malmö Dakar, Muséum Malmö, Sweden, 2008.

He has taken part in numerous workshops include at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Rennes, France in 2010 and the Danish Centre for Art and Craft, Copenhaguen, Denmark, 2010. His work is part of major international collections including the Museum Malmö, Sweden, World Bank, Washington DC, USA and the Fondation Jean Paul Blachère, Apt, France.

Works in the show

Power Cut in the Suburb 2011
200 x 200cms
Newspaper collage, acrylic and pigment on canvas
Photograph – courtesy of the artist

Flood in the Suburb 1 2011
200 x 200cms
Newspaper collage, acrylic and pigment on canvas
Photograph – courtesy of the artist

Flood in the Suburb 2 2011
200 x 200cms
Newspaper collage, acrylic and pigment on canvas
Photograph – courtesy of the artist