Nestled in a small village by Senegal’s Lake Retba, the painter, Omar Ba, was back in his birth country. He had just returned from his recent solo exhibitions in Europe. Ba sounded cheerful over the phone as he reflected on his journey and the movement of Senegalese contemporary artists making waves worldwide. “My life as an artist has been guided by two things: luck and unique encounters,” he said in his calm, positive, professor-like voice.

At 47 years old, Ba is internationally acclaimed for mixed media paintings that fuse figurative and decorative motifs. As noted in the Whitewall magazine, Ba is “quickly becoming a celebrated name with plentiful solo and group shows over the last decade” at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. In Senegal, he has been part of the esteemed Biennale of Dakar in 2014 and 2022.

Living between Senegal and Switzerland, Ba’s paintings blend symbols, techniques, and tools from both African and European cultures. He tackles themes like migration. “Even though these people have gained their independence, they live in precarious conditions” shared Ba during this interview. He explains that many people want to live “on the other side,” to escape this context. In his paintings, the artist acknowledges contemporary crises while giving hope for a better life.

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