Galerie Barbara Thumm \ El Hadji Sy

\El Hadji Sy

El Hadji Sy, *1954 in Dakar, Senegal,
lives and works in Dakar, Senegal

Photo © Pap Bâ

Text by Clémentine Deliss

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9 available works

El Hadji Sy (also known as El Sy) was born 1954 in Dakar where he lives and works. As a painter, performer, curator and activist, Sy has shaped Senegalese art and culture significantly for several decades.

Sy studied at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Dakar from 1973 -1977. He belongs to the second generation of Senegalese artists who came after the renowned École de Dakar. In defiance of Léopold Sédar Senghor’s cultural régime, Sy painted with his feet for 10 years, refusing to be part of received art historical canons. At the same time, he organized the takeover of a disused colonial military building in the centre of Dakar. The space became the headquarters for an entire generation of Senegalese artists including musicians Baaba Maal.

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Selected Works

Galerie Barbara Thumm \ El Hadji Sy \ Le Regardeur (2020)

El Hadji Sy

Le Regardeur (2020)
Mixed media: acrylic, oil and tar on canvas
225 x 184 cm
More works by this artist
Galerie Barbara Thumm \ El Hadji Sy \ Les Nubians (2017)

El Hadji Sy

Les Nubians (2017)
Mixed media, acrylic, oil and tar
200 x 160 cm
SOLD
More works by this artist
Galerie Barbara Thumm \ El Hadji Sy \ Canneset pétales (2019)

El Hadji Sy

Canneset pétales (2019)
Mixed media, acryl and tar on canvas
206,5 x 59 cm
More works by this artist

Gallery Exhibitions

External Exhibitions