50 GOLBORNE

Cheick Diallo has a unique voice in the world of contemporary design. Over the past 20 years he has become a major figure, being the first designer dedicated to developing conceptual design in an African context. Since the mid - 1990s, he has been questioning and investigating the current state of Making for an intentional audience in an African context. He works in Paris and in Bamako, Acting from his studio based in Bamako or from work shops he has organized in different African countries including Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, he has been developing his own experimental process based on identifying local design vocabularies and materials and pushing them in the contemporary world. Diallo uses only locally sourced materials. He seeks out the best in traditional and local craftsmen, and trains artisans to stretch their skills to adapt them to contemporary projects. From this context, he has been making small series of objects and furniture that have received great interest both in the world of conceptual design and for collectors worldwide.

 

Cheick Diallo’s latest series of furniture was constructed from sourcing vibrant fishing wires that are imported in high volumes into Mali for the fishing industry. Skilled artisans, trained and managed by Diallo’s studio, weave by hand ona base of recycled metal. The designs, both light and sculptural are characteristic of Diallo’s positioning between art and design.