MALI

"A favorite portrait of mine from this period is one of Malick Sidibé in his studio. His children have since converted the premises into a type of asepticized store for tourists. They’ve cleaned up the hideous mess that once reigned there, which was the source of all its charm. Before his work gained recognition, Malick lived as a camera repairman. (…) Two vintage shots by Malick, stamped and signed by the great master, are pasted to the left of the portrait that I created in this studio.

(…) I’ve always wondered about the artistic appropriateness of my uppermost desire, which is to draw the approval of the models I paint. Seydou Keïta, rightly considered as a major photographer-artist of the 20th century, stated that his greatest preoccupation was to satisfy his models. It’s motivating to meet good artists, and sometimes also reassuring."

Extract from Carnets de voyage 2, 2000, Éditions Gallimard