The Brilliant Color Textiles of Abdulaye Konate | Brilliant Ideas Ep. 31

Abdulaye Konate is one of the world's greatest artist. From Mali, west Africa. He works with textiles, a rich tradition in the region. many of his works are on a huge scale, one the size of a football pitch, where he shows just how much it is possible to do with fabrics.

[@traoresambaabdel1856]

Give it up for Mali! I’m so proud to be west African.

[@rasta_ital]

Reminds me of something like kawandi. Looks like they have some similarities. Both are beautifully designed. Thank you for sharing this documentary. Absolutely gorgeous as always.

[@slavicastepanovic259]

Watching this was very inspirational. I love African art!

[@karinliane547]

To look at Art can change the Mind 🌴💟🌈🌹🌈💟🌴

[@richardcwatson2165]

Very inspiring to see. I’m impressed and excited to explore the various aspects of choice, and techniques for applying like-minded approaches into my work in collage and found-objects within my own works👌🏿🎩❤️🙏…RjW

[@RR-ob8ze]

She really did just touch the art

[@jmzjchai18]

lol fr.. and her analysis was sort of hierarchical in the way that she talked about the fabric not holding much value. I was like, “what???”

[@fatoomgierdien2181]

Beautiful and Stunning. Cape Town

[@lynnruby8369]

So colourful. Great work. Art

[@monami7092]

The final pieces are very beautiful

[@celinacostaandcosta5252]

Superb textile artist !

[@eleganteclipse4218]

The layered used of indigenous textiles is so imaginative. In some ways, you can see a similar aestheic sensitbility in Gees Bend quilts. It's inspiring to see modern art emerging from the continent. Thank you!

[@tiwantiwaabibiman2603]

There's no "some ways" or coincidence there. The Gees Bend and other Diaspora quilting traditions comes from direct and tangible Afrikan ancestral memory and origins. Our creative traditions and the expression of them is in our DNA and souls. We just move them forward based on the time, place and conditions we are in. Gulla Geechee traditions are of and perpetuate Afrika.

[@astorybookfinish5055]

Very inspiring

[@nildarende2081]

Je suis très heureux de vous rencontrer même s'il est tard.

[@karenkaren9526]

Wow

[@isabelditone3721]

Excellent‼️‼️‼️❤️🧡💚💙💜

[@selgalouis1033]

Amazing .....

[@karinliane547]

To Africa are belonging the shining of the Soul 🌴🌈🌹🌈🦩🌈🌹🌈🌴

[@TsetsiStoyanova]

I always wondered what to do with my excess house fabrics

[@michaux67]

Bravo Abdoulaye. Albert

[@donnadees1971]

How DO they dance for so long. I’d get so tired. 😊

[@artbysvkart2624]

That roundabout sculpture was by

[@janicesharpe7159]

Does anyone know the name of that wonderful Koro player, I'd like to get some of his music?

[@sharongillesp]

This is an artist. Opposite to the "art" of Kusama.

[@helend222]

Surprised. This guy doesnt make his own artwork. The assistants do the work. Is this common? If he wins an award are the assistants rewarded too?

[@tiwantiwaabibiman2603]

Actually ALL successful and busy artists (and designers) have to have studio assistants. I'm actually in the process interviewing for assistants for my studios. There's no way professional working artists, especially those who work with "non-traditional" western mediums and multi-medium, always have studio assistants. It doesn't mean that we never put our hands in/on the production of our work, it just means we have to have help. In this video you mainly see him supervising. He actually does his sketches, sources his materials, sits behind the sewing machine and gets down on the floor with them for hours,to create his pieces. Do you think he would have been able to finish that huge football stadium size piece by himself in his lifetime (even if he started it when he was 25) and work on other pieces too? No! It always amazes me when people think that serious professional fine visual artists work alone in our studios and produce enough artwork to pay the bills without assistants. Every fine artist and designers (of any race/ethnicity) does this. Even Michelangelo. Renoir, Desgas, every European "master" sculptor, Liechtenstein, Andy Warhol, ... all had studio assistants. Kehinde Wiley, Deborah Roberts, Michael Ray Charles, Kerry James Marshall, John Biggers (RIP), El Anatsui and 100s of other established (and mid career) Black/Afrikan artists all have studio assistants. Or were also studio assistants to established artists before them. My regular/full time workroom/atelier team and [paid] intern studio assistants, assist me in numerous ways (both with creation and administratively) to get the work started and finished. Otherwise I (and other artists/designers) would always be behind, miss deadlines and wouldn't be able to make a living from our creative practices. I'm right there with them or in another part of my studio "doing my part". I'm also a fashion designer. Of my workroom team I'm the only one who can draft patterns. While I'm drafting the patterns, their working on other garments or elements for the gartments. I'd never make it to fashion week or meet my client deadlines if I had to create entire collections and custom orders by myself. I need studio assistances to do small tasks for works so I can focus on/do the main parts of the work. My art studio assistants might prep my canvases or tie the 100s of strips of raffia for a sculptural pieces while I'm making the sculptural piece. Art is a business like any other industry or business. Do you think Michael Dell, the founder of Ford, any CEO or business owner would be able to make all of their products and sustain/grow their businesses, if they did EVERYthing themselves? No! Why do you think professional artist should or could? A studio assistant is also being mentored. Artists who have paid studio assistants are also job creators. Did that help?

[@Constance576]

He is the super brain behind it. That's all😊

[@tiwantiwaabibiman2603]

Those "funny little things" are Juju/Hoodoo/Mojo amulet packets. They represent serious spiritual conjure. OMG/G!!! I can't' believe that Director of the Tate is still using historical Euro racist concepts of the colours Black and white and applied them to Baba Abdulaye's works! No white man Black not represent forms of/mean negative connotations.

[@hoomalumalu]

nice artwork but very limited

[@Taichientaoyin]

why is it very limited?

[@cherrio291]

Because it is 'craft' work, albeit beautiful. The world of 'fine art' is something apart and there are many more deserving 'African' artists of true artistic talent and training.

[@EleniEliades_]

cherrio291 : There is no need to be 'trained' as an artist. So what if he's using dyed fabrics? He is still creating artistic works which are quite amazing and have powerful political statements and themes within them~ You're going to have to accept the fact that Abdulaye is an important artist who works with traditional African textiles and whose large hanging works often deal with strong political issues. ❤💥🎵🔥🐾🌵🌹💡✔❗

[@EleniEliades_]

Taichientaoyin : It's not, it is only the fact that many peoples minds are very limited. ~☆

[@Cassandra702]

why can't someone who sounds like an actual human do the voice-overs? Seriously, those cliche inflections, like we actually need to be entertained by her voice. Barf

[@alexanderson1193]

guess hes using the royal 'we' when hes chatting about we are creating.....women dye the fabric and the men sew it. What the fuck did he do? I hate artists that dont create and complete the work themselves. it is no longer art its a business venture.

[@cherrio291]

Beautiful 'craft' work..... but in no way fits into the world of 'fine art'! With all the colour in Africa, this so called 'artist' wears a grey 'western' styled suit of business attributes(!), and employs 'assistants' in a very American/European fashion. True African artists are above this charade!

[@piyushdas079]

finally someone said it.

[@makanaki513]

i bet ALL fashion designers sew together all their fabrics themselves

[@tiwantiwaabibiman2603]

@cherrio291 His work absolutely IS in the world of "fine art"?! Who are you, the art police? If white authorities in the fine arts world say it's fine art, it's fine art! That was me being sarcastic. You do NOT know what you're talking about.

[@tiwantiwaabibiman2603]

@@makanaki513 Right? No we do not. Nor could we and stay in business and sane. Just as Michael Dell doesn't make all of his computers/tech and run every aspect of his company.