For a long time African art was not widely appreciated or known about in Western countries.

African art is vibrant, rich, stark, haunting and memorable.

And one of Africa’s greatest artists is Sengalese painter, tapestry weaver, illustrator, Papa Ibra Tall.

He started painting under the tutelage of French painters in Senegal, moving to Paris where he studied further at various art institutions.

His art – paintings, weavings, illustrations- was shown at various international art exhibits and museums, largely in Europe.

Tall was a crucial figure in the development of Africa’s art’s movement, especially in his native Senegal, encouraging young African artists to use African subject matter instead of relying on the influence of Western art.

He also was active in Négritude, formed in the 1930s, championed by a plethora of African artists with an objective of promoting African heritage, culture and identity.

His guiding force about his art was the belief that he put as follows:

“So at the time it was a question of creating, for myself, an artistic language which seemed to me to belong to Africa and to Senegal. I concluded that art is universal but that it was necessary for there to be particularities that one had to transcend to achieve this universality. So I thought that I couldn’t imitate what the French were doing. I was completely outside of that tradition. Therefore, I thought that it was necessary for me to construct a completely new language”.

He was true to his beliefs – creating unique African art.