At the beginning of July, we received a visit from Désire Sawadogo, a painter from Burkina Faso specialising in acrylic painting on traditional fabric, who was completing a six-month artistic residency at the WIELS contemporary art centre, an Africalia partner in the Belgium programme. As part of this partnership, he was awarded Africalia support for his residency.
© Désiré Sawadogo,l’ainé du roi,2020, acrylique.
Arriving in January, he says that adapting to the climate was the most challenging part of his stay, but he assures us that you adapt quickly. His residency was packed with visits to museums and meetings with his mentors every Wednesday in French and English, as he was used to a predominantly French-speaking environment. He visited the various art schools in our country to talk to students and teachers about artistic practices. His residency also allowed him to meet other artists, collectors, art dealers, and gallery owners to familiarise himself with the international art market.
Nevertheless enriching, his short stay in Belgium enabled him to forge links and create a network that allowed him to return in September for an exhibition and next year at WIELS.
© Désiré Sawadogo,la paix est une absence de violence, acrylique, 2021.
