SOUL
Scroll down to meet the Artists, see our Hall of Fame and discover our Affiliated Organisations!
THE AASOA ARTISTS
We pride ourselves in getting to know the artists themselves; their history, their passions and aspirations, and their thought processes behind their amazing creations. Hopefully you can get a flavour of the artists’ personalities and perhaps a small insight into the rich Senegalese culture!
Mouhamadou Lamine "Aminou" Wade
Aminou has some of the most original style paintings in Senegal. His bedroom is his art studio and he truly lives and breathes to create.
Email: Aminoulartiste1@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aminoulamine.wade Age: 36 (2020). From: St. Louis, Senegal. Started painting: 2013. Prior profession: Electrician. Favourite food: Maafe. A city he would like to visit: London (specifically to see the Royal Observatory in Greenwich where ‘time comes from’). To relax: Listens to music and drinks tea. Likes about Senegal: The culture of sharing. Doesn’t like about Senegal: The people who don’t respect life - who throw their rubbish in the street and aren’t frank with one another. Life goals: Build a house for his mother and to have a wife and three children. If he was president: Improve the Senegalese mentality and reduce unemployment by teaching skills to those that are jobless.
Aladji Sow
Meet the supremely talented Aladji, the youngest AASOA artist.
Age: 27 (2020). From: Dakar, Senegal. Started painting: 2011. To relax: Likes to do things for his country. Favourite food: Thiébou dieune.* Favourite football team: ‘Real Madrid till I die!’ Favourite footballers: Ronaldo, Zidane and El Hadj Diouf. A city he would like to visit: Paris. When he was younger: Wanted to be a teacher. Life goals: To do many things in his country, take his work very far and have expositions. Likes about Senegal: The peace and understanding between Catholics and Muslims. Doesn’t like about Senegal: Seeing young people unemployed in the streets. If he was president: Reduce the price of basic necessities such as housing and petrol, then reduce unemployment.
Cheikh Sidi Sow
Cheikhe was one of the artists that recognised me from when I visited the Village Artisanal de Soumbédioune in 2016. He has a brilliant minimalist style, often using pieces of rope and fabrics!
Age: 50 (2020, and please ignore the mental maths error in the interview recording below!) Started painting: 2002. Prior profession: Wood sculptor. From: Dakar, Senegal. To relax: Likes watching football and “la lutte sénégalaise”.* Favourite food: Yassa Poulet.* Favourite football team: Senegal, France and PSG. Favourite footballers: Messi, Neymar and Griezmann. A city he would like to visit: Paris. When he was younger: Always wanted to be an artist. Life goals: Help and provide for his family (wife and two children). Likes about Senegal: The traditions. Doesn’t like about Senegal: People that don’t work. If he was president: He would make sure everyone can buy food.
Abdou Fall
Probably the most accomplished artist in the AASOA family. He has multiple art diplomas and has done exhibitions all over Senegal.
Email: papefall940@gmail.com Telephone: (00221) 77 566 85 65 / 33 823 28 59 Age: 47 (2020). Started painting: Professionally in 1993. having received his diploma from art school, although he practiced with his older brother since he was a child. From: Dakar, Senegal. To relax: Going to the beach, seeing the nature which inspires him (baobabs and beaches in particular) and going to calm places. Favourite food: Thiébou dieune.* Life goals: Open an art school for those that want to perfect their skills and become a real art professional. Likes about Senegal: The Teranga.* Doesn’t like about Senegal: The people who talk too much and work too little. If he was president: Remove the corruption.
Abdoulaye “Lay” Ba
Lay (middle right) is an interior decorator by trade, but a hugely talented artist in his spare time! It was an absolute pleasure to watch him paint his canvases start to finish. His style is to paint each of his masterpieces across multiple canvases.
Age: 31 (2020). From: Mbour, Senegal. Started painting: 2008. Favourite food: Maafe.* A city he would like to visit: Paris. Likes about Senegal: The sea and the peace. Doesn’t like about Senegal: Sometimes people can be untrustworthy. Life goals: To buy a big house and get married. If he was president: He would ask for advice on what to do from his advisors.
Felix Silva
His paintings were all over the Mbour, always identifiable by his signature “FS” at the bottom of his paintings. It wasn’t easy, but we eventually tracked down his art studio on a housing estate on the outskirts of Mbour.
Age: 49 (2020). From: Mbour, Senegal (originally Guinea-Bissau). Started painting: 1995 - went to art school in Moscow. Favourite food: Maafe. A city he would like to visit: Paris - “where they have the best canvas art in the world.” Likes about Senegal: The sharing nature of people. Doesn’t like about Senegal: His city Mbour is not clean due to all the rubbish. If he was president: He would improve nationwide access to water, electricity, schools and hospitals.
Mor Sow
Mor runs his own small art shop as part of the Soumbédioune artisanal village in Dakar. He is a very funny guy and loves to joke around.
From: Dakar, Senegal.
Unfortunately we were not able to conduct an interview with Mor due to time constraints.
Mor “Talla” Fall
This is El Hadj’s brilliant cousin whose skill with the sewing machine is unmatched. As he doesn’t speak french, we could only communicate using basic Wolof* sentences, which lead to a particularly interesting afternoon when the two of us were making trousers by ourselves. I learnt that day that sewing machines are much more difficult to use than they look. The following interview was therefore conducted with a translator.
From: Touré village in Louga, Senegal. Started crafting: 2000. Favourite thing to make: Women’s clothing. Favourite food: Thiébou dieun.* To relax: Go to the beach or watch football. Favourite footballers: Messi, di Maria and Neymar. A city he would like to visit: Fez, Morocco. Likes about Senegal: The peace. Doesn’t like about Senegal: The corruption, injustice and inequality between rich and poor. Life goals: Be a good businessman. If he was president: He would support the farmers - it is very tough for them during the dry season. If a country doesn’t have enough food, everything falls apart.
Mussa Joòb
A rarity in St. Louis as there are not many artists there who can make a living solely from paintings, owing to relatively low demand for art. This kind family man puts a lot of thought into his artwork and loves using vibrant acrylics!
Phone: +221 77 145 31 94 From: St. Louis, Senegal Started painting: At the age of 18. Favourite food: Thiébou dieun.* A city he would like to visit: Paris. Likes about Senegal: The Teranga.* Doesn’t like about Senegal: High rate of youth unemployment. Life goals: Reach his full artistic potential to serve humanity. If he was president: He would be on his people’s side and always keep that in mind when making decisions.
Ngange Diop
In Mbour, Ngange is like artistic royalty alongside Felix Silva, his paintings are all over the city, always recognisable by the “NG.” signature.
Age: 37 (2020). From: Mbour, Senegal. Started painting: 2008. A city he would like to visit: New York City. To relax: Likes to be a ladies’ man. Likes about Senegal: The sharing. Doesn’t like about Senegal: The dirtiness and amount of rubbish. Life goals: He aspires to become a Byfall (Islamic religious leader). If he was president: He would change the Senegalese mentality to be more hardworking.
Coura et Babacar
Coura runs a small boutique shop in Ile de N’Dar and her family work as tailors in Langue de Barbarie, where there are many other textile workers and fabric vendors.
From: St. Louis, Senegal.
Unfortunately we were not able to interview Coura and her brother due to time constraints.
Senegalese/Wolof* Terms:
• La Lutte sénégalaise: Senegalese wresting, a national sport in Senegal usually played in a ring on sand, where the main objective is to throw the opponent to the ground or push them out of the wrestling ring.
• Maafe: Senegalese dish of meat with peanut-tomato sauce served on rice or as a stew.
• La Teranga: the Senegalese concept that embodies sharing, hospitality and peace.
• Thiébou dieune: Spicy rice with fish and vegetables.
• Wolof: The main spoken language in Senegal, originally from the Wolof tribe
• Yassa poulet: Chicken and rice with thick onion sauce.
THE AASOA HALL OF FAME
A place to thank the wider community of individuals who have personally helped the brand and contributed to the success of this social enterprise.
Fina Senghor - Co-founder of the AYDA Foundation (in partnership with AASOA) and housed me in St. Louis, 2018.
Amadou Khaly Diaw - Leading representative of the Medina Marmiyal district in St. Louis (in partnership with AASOA).
Ensa - Head Master of Nalla Ndiaye School (in partnership with AASOA).
Mame Cheikh Fall - Support in St. Louis.
Vieux Mbaye - Support in St. Louis.
Assane Gaye - Support in St. Louis.
Maïmouna Diakité - Support in St. Louis.
Peter Anderson - BTS support.
Talla Fall - Support and housed me in Mbour, 2018.
Nasara AL-Hassan - Facilitated collaborations with Exeter’s Afro-Carribean Society.
Leanne Sobogun - Facilitated collaborations with Exeter’s Afro-Carribean Society.
Rosina Devery - Sales and BTS support.
Jeneis Osei - BTS Support.
Anna Sutherland - Model and sales support.
Harry McWilliam - Sales support.
Carla Howell: Model and marketing support.
Victor Muchatuta jr. - Sales support.
Oscar Rignell - Concept and early-development support.
Thomas Cox - Consultant Advisor (business digitalisation and logistics).
William Cross - Head rep.
Hart Fargo - Moral support.
Hayley Lacey - Moral support.
OUR AFFILIATED ORGANISATIONS
Take a look at the different charities, businesses and groups that have collaborated with AASOA over the years and feel free to check them out!
The AYDA Foundation
Alliance for Youth Development in Africa (AYDA) is a multinational nonprofit organization that advocates for improved conditions for youth development to acquire the skills and confidence to excel in school and continue education. They believe that insufficient education is a root cause for many problems later in life, such as poor hygiene habits, under-developed communication skills, and a severe lack of confidence and thus motivation to continue school.
Visit: https://aydaf.org
Tom’s Trust
Team Tom are dedicated to providing Clinical Psychology for children with brain tumours within UK hospitals. Our Clinical Psychologists work within a pioneering team ensuring that the children and their families are fully supported, enabling the children to reach their full potential.
The first service is based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. Our work is additional to the very basic NHS provision, which is not designed or intended to manage the complex psychological requirements of young brain tumour sufferers. If we do not support the psychological provision, it simply would not be there.
Visit: http://www.tomstrust.org.uk
Nina-Sofia Ltd
A handmade soft accessories brand using vibrant prints sourced worldwide focusing on African printed cotton 'Ankara'. Everything is hand crafted in the UK. They make to order and can have any customised detail required - please contact for details. They also carry an extensive print collection so if there is something specific you are looking for feel free to get in touch.
Visit: https://www.nina-sofia.com
Exeter African and Carribean Society
Exeter's African-Caribbean society aims to bring students from diverse backgrounds together to celebrate and promote African and Caribbean culture in all of its forms. We seek not only to promote the ACS, but provide an enjoyable and intellectually stimulating experience for all its members. Its main aims are to:
Empower one another to promote greatness
Celebrate the beauty of African and Caribbean culture
Educate members and non-members on our history and culture
Eloquens.com
Eloquens wants to democratise know-how. In a world where information is plentiful, and a hunger for knowledge exists, there are still barriers to access it. Eloquens.com aims to tackle these problems.
By making know-how accessible to all with its online marketplace, we want to optimise the way information is shared. Aiming to be a vehicle for the progression of knowledge, Eloquens aspires to empower with its vast collection of business templates, how-to methodologies, tips, videos and online courses.
By creating a platform where know-how can be shared and consumed efficiently, Eloquens.com has developed a strong growing network of experts, professionals, and consultants.
Interested in creating your own startup? Eloquens.com has lots of ready-to-use business models and templates (free and paid) to give you the best shot at success!
Visit: https://www.eloquens.com/category/startups/24?ref=aasoa
Affiliate disclaimer: 1. Hugh (co-founder) had an internship at this company. 2. If you create an account and purchase a model from Eloquens using the link provided, Art and Soul of Africa will receive a small commission from Eloquens’ sales revenue.
Melinda Fargo is the Founder & Creative Director at the The Cushion Maven, and makes the brand's beautifully elegant handmade Cushions, Face Masks and Weighted Yoga Eye Pillows from her home in Norfolk, England.
The brand stays true to non-mass produced, sourcing fabulous fabrics and making in small collections, one-off pieces or bespoke. The Cushion Maven also takes on individual commissions and is happy to discuss your particular project.
A percentage of sales from The Cushion Maven is donated to UK Black Pride, and other contributions throughout the year include subjects close to Melinda's heart, such as breast cancer awareness month in October.
Visit: https://thecushionmaven.com
