Senegalese Artist Centers on Politics, Pandemic
2021-03-31
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1Violent demonstrations broke out in Senegal earlier this month in protest of injustice and inequality in the country.
2Artist Omar Ba protested in a different way: he painted.
3Ba said that what young people are doing in the streets, he is doing in his workspace near the country's capital, Dakar.
4Ba is one of Senegal's best-known modern artists.
5He has often used his art to make political statements.
6Currently, some of his paintings are on show at the Galerie Templon in Brussels, Belgium.
7The show, called Anomalies, comments on power-hungry world leaders through a series of paintings of imaginary heads of state.
8An anomaly is something that is unusual or unexpected.
9Ba said he was shocked to see such intense violence on the streets of his own country.
10"These are things I had seen on TV, but never here," he told Reuters.
11"I think visual art is something I have to use to denounce what's not working, or to talk about what is positive, in society."
12The protests began after the arrest of a popular opposition leader,
13but widened into demonstrations about economic inequality, a condition worsened by the COVID-19 crisis.
14Thousands took to the streets.
15Some protesters threw rocks at police.
16Security forces fired their guns at protesters.
17Some people worry that Senegal's President Macky Sall will try to extend his rule beyond the permitted two terms.
18Other African leaders have used constitutional changes to extend their time in power.
19Sall has not commented on whether he will seek a third term.
20Ba normally does not give names to the subjects he paints.
21But for his next collection, he said he might paint Sall.
22Ba said once leaders are elected, they completely change their way of thinking and speaking.
23He said that is why he named his art show Anomalies.
24Four of the 12 paintings in the series deal with the COVID-19 crisis.
25Colorful shapes and Ba's own footprints cover the canvas, representing a sense of confusion and how it feels to be trapped.
26COVID-19 exposed inequality and corruption in Africa, Ba said.
27He said the wealthy were forced to depend on the same troubled public health services that the poor must use.
28Normally, the rich seek better care elsewhere.
29Ba said, "Nobody could take planes to get treatment in Europe or the United States."
30He add that "for once people realized that in their own hospitals there was nothing."
31I'm Jonathan Evans.
1Violent demonstrations broke out in Senegal earlier this month in protest of injustice and inequality in the country. Artist Omar Ba protested in a different way: he painted. 2Ba said that what young people are doing in the streets, he is doing in his workspace near the country's capital, Dakar. 3Ba is one of Senegal's best-known modern artists. He has often used his art to make political statements. Currently, some of his paintings are on show at the Galerie Templon in Brussels, Belgium. The show, called Anomalies, comments on power-hungry world leaders through a series of paintings of imaginary heads of state. An anomaly is something that is unusual or unexpected. 4Ba said he was shocked to see such intense violence on the streets of his own country. 5"These are things I had seen on TV, but never here," he told Reuters. 6"I think visual art is something I have to use to denounce what's not working, or to talk about what is positive, in society." 7The protests began after the arrest of a popular opposition leader, but widened into demonstrations about economic inequality, a condition worsened by the COVID-19 crisis. Thousands took to the streets. Some protesters threw rocks at police. Security forces fired their guns at protesters. 8Some people worry that Senegal's President Macky Sall will try to extend his rule beyond the permitted two terms. Other African leaders have used constitutional changes to extend their time in power. 9Sall has not commented on whether he will seek a third term. 10Ba normally does not give names to the subjects he paints. But for his next collection, he said he might paint Sall. 11Ba said once leaders are elected, they completely change their way of thinking and speaking. He said that is why he named his art show Anomalies. 12Four of the 12 paintings in the series deal with the COVID-19 crisis. Colorful shapes and Ba's own footprints cover the canvas, representing a sense of confusion and how it feels to be trapped. 13COVID-19 exposed inequality and corruption in Africa, Ba said. He said the wealthy were forced to depend on the same troubled public health services that the poor must use. Normally, the rich seek better care elsewhere. 14Ba said, "Nobody could take planes to get treatment in Europe or the United States." He add that "for once people realized that in their own hospitals there was nothing." 15I'm Jonathan Evans. 16Nellie Peyton and Ngouda Dione reported on this story for the Reuters news service. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. 17______________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19visual - adj. relating to seeing or to the eyes 20positive - adj. good or useful 21society -n. people in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values 22canvas -n. a specially prepared piece of cloth on which a picture can be painted by an artist 23confusion -n. a situation in which people are uncertain about what to do or are unable to understand something clearly