“I paint over and over again to clear my mind, with the goal of becoming one with the paper and the brush. It is only through repetition that my line can approach perfection.”
Ousmane Bâ is a French visual artist, born and raised in Strasbourg where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from L’Institut Supérieur des Arts Appliqués. His practice mainly centres around drawing, painting and collage. Bâ always took an interest in Japanese art and moved to Japan in 2017 to develop his style and technique, immersing himself into a new philosophy and vision of the world. He works mostly with ink, inspired by the art of calligraphy as well as the techniques of Japanese printmaking, including, among others, the « Moku Hanga » technique (wood print). Ousmane Bâ has since participated in exhibitions in various Japanese galleries such as Studio Gross, Fukagawa garage and Trunk Hotel. Most recently he has been exhibited at the Dakar Biennale 2022.
The spontaneity and the gestures of the bodies are at the heart of Ousmane Bâ’s artistic practice. He takes the time to represent bodies that are underrepresented and invisible in art circles through a body positivity lens. Bodies become a motion vector and movement, a metaphor for life as it represents the beginning of all things. In his exhibition “The idle dream of black body” he celebrates black leisure, the ideal dream of black bodies. Black leisure is a form of resistance against body control that should always be productive and efficient for Capitalism.
Harmony and peace are at the forefront of his artistic message. There is an important spiritual dimension in Ousmane Bâ’s art taking inspiration from his Fulani background, a traditionally pastoral nomadic community. A thoughtful invitation to reflect on movement, our relationships with self and others as well as our engagement with nature. Today, Ousmane takes his work into a new direction. He considers himself a nomad between painting and digital drawing, in search of a picture of inner peace.