
Efie Gallery presents Malian artist Abdoulaye Konaté with a solo exhibition titled Sambadio from October 10, 2024 until January 6, 2025. The exhibition showcases a monumental 9-meter work inspired by “Sambadio,” the final track of Malian musician Ali Farka Touré’s 1976 album Le Jeune Chansonnier du Mali. The song, celebrating farmers, reflects a father’s plea for his son to honour the earth. Konaté’s latest works echo this sentiment, exploring themes of Bedouin culture and the deep connection between West African and Middle Eastern traditions. The Sambadio exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue featuring essays by notable writers Simon Njami, Ousseynou Wade, and Professor Yacouba Konaté.
Born in Mali in 1953, Konaté is renowned for his large-scale textile installations made from woven and dyed fabrics native to his homeland. His works, both abstract and figurative, address aesthetic, socio-political, and environmental issues. Drawing on the West African tradition of using textiles as a form of communication, Konaté masterfully balances global concerns with personal references to his life and country.

Interview with Abdoulaye Konaté
How does the song “Sambadio” by Ali Farka Touré resonate with your artistic vision, and in what ways did it inspire the monumental 9-meter piece in this exhibition?

Ali Farka Touré’s song “Sambadio” serves as an legendary narrative within Peulh culture, embodying a spirit of courage that encourages both men and women to transcend their limits. In this context, the monumental piece we presented in the exhibition aims to echo that call to greatness. It seeks to channel the motivation behind creating such a large-scale work, reflecting the song’s powerful message. Your work integrates motifs from Bedouin culture and explores parallels between West African and Middle Eastern traditions.
How did your experiences or research shape this cultural dialogue in your current body of work?
Middle Eastern culture is an integral part of the Sahel region’s heritage. For centuries, we have been immersed in this culture through the influence of Islam. The motifs we explore are deeply rooted in our traditions—whether in weaving, clothing, or broader African thought, particularly within the Sahel. Therefore, finding these cultural references was not a challenge; they are inherently part of who we are. Textiles are central to your practice, drawing on West African traditions.
How do you see the role of textiles in communicating socio-political and environmental issues, especially in a contemporary Middle Eastern context?
Textile weaving and traditional fabrics carry profound meanings within both Sahelian and Middle Eastern cultures. We seek to unearth these symbols and occasionally decipher their significance. Ultimately, these elements form a cultural foundation that we strive to transcend, pushing beyond the conventional boundaries of contemporary art. Through textiles, we aim to express ourselves more fully in today’s context.

About Abdoulaye Konaté
Born in Mali in 1953, Abdoulaye Konaté is known for his large-scale textile-based installations using woven and dyed fabrics native to his homeland. His abstract and figurative works address socio-political and environmental issues, drawing from West African traditions where textiles serve as a form of communication. Konaté studied at Bamako’s Institut National des Arts and the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana. His work has been exhibited at renowned institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, and the Venice Biennale. Konaté is a founding member of the African Culture Fund and the Conservatoire des Arts in Bamako.
Location: Efie Gallery, Unit 2 Al Khayat Art Avenue, 19th Street – Al Quoz 1 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dates: October 10, 2024 – January 6, 2025