Malick Sidibé - Painted Frames

The iconic Malian photographer's portraits of African modernity are re-framed as intrinsic social and cultural objects.

Loose Joints is honoured to announce Painted Frames, a little-known collection of works by the late Malick Sidibé. Known as the 'Eye of Bamako,' Sidibé documented the lives, style, and energy of post-independence Mali with unparalleled intimacy. His iconic black-and-white photographs, from the exuberant youth of Bamako's dancehalls to the self-assured subjects in his studio, captured a nation defining itself in a moment of profound social and cultural change.

Painted Frames reimagines this legacy, blending Sidibé's hallmark portraits with vivid, hand-painted coloured frames created in collaboration with the artist and local Malian artisans toward the end of Sidibé's life. These frames were not mere embellishments but functional objects — keepsakes and symbols of status, gifted, circulated, cherished and shared. They reflect the joy, pride, and self-expression of Sidibé's subjects, reminding us that his photography was always a social practice first and foremost, designed to celebrate the interconnectedness of African people, culture, and identity.

This late series highlights Sidibé's enduring commitment to celebrating Mali's cultural modernity, emphasising his works as dynamic pieces of social transmission rather than fetishised art objects. By layering painted borders with photographic portraits, Sidibé brought a new richness to his work, amplifying its role as a celebration of social exchange, while also serving as a curatorial gesture in which he gathered together the most important works from his diverse and expansive œuvre into a jubilant burst of colour and affirmation.

Malick Sidibé (1935–2016) was a groundbreaking Malian photographer known for his black-and-white images capturing the vibrancy of post-independence Mali. Through dynamic studio portraits and candid scenes of youth culture from the 1950s to 70s, Sidibé documented Bamako’s nightlife, celebrations, and everyday life with intimacy and energy. His iconic Studio Malick became a cultural landmark, blending traditional aesthetics with modern aspirations.

Key publications of his work include Malick Sidibé (Scalo, 1998), Chemises (Steidl, 2007), Malick Sidibé: Photographs (Steidl/The Walther Collection, 2011), and Mali Twist (Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, 2017). In 2007, Sidibé became the first African, and the first photographer, to be awarded the Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale, and he was winner of the Hasselblad Award in 2003. 

Notable international exhibitions include Malick Sidibé: Mali Twist at Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris (2017–2018), and Malick Sidibé: The Eye of Modern Mali at Somerset House, London (2016–2017). Sidibé's work has been subject of six solo exhibitions at Jack Shainman Gallery, including Malick Sidibé: LOVE POWER PEACE (2018), Malick Sidibé (2016), and Malick Sidibé: Photographs: 1960–2004 (2005). His photographs are held in collections at The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

245 x 320 mm, 160 pages, 80 colour plates
Section-sewn oversized silkscreened softcover with exposed spine

Edited by Sarah Chaplin Espenon
With an essay by Amy Sall
Designed by Loose Joints Studio

LJ209, April 2025 
ISBN 978-1-912719-66-2

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