Malick Sidibé’s photographs chronicle the exuberance of Mali’s early postcolonial period, having gained its freedom from France in 1960. The present lot depicts members of Sidibé’s local community in Bamako, Mali in the 1960s and 1970s. These traditional portraits were often commissioned to commemorate important life events such as weddings, baptisms, and other family gatherings.
As illustrated, two works are presented in colorful and delicately hand-painted frames, created by local artisan Checkna Touré. Touré’s shop was conveniently located around the corner from Sidibé’s Studio Malick, which opened in 1962, the same year as the earliest image in this group. By adding distinctive, ornamental frames around the images, these reproducible photographs have been transformed into unique objects that speak to the bond of the community in Bamako at the time.
