One of the greatest things about the Baltimore Museum of Art is how it embraces its mission of bringing a full range of international and national contemporary artists to the public's attention. Currently the works of Omar Ba and Darrell Ellis are featured in focus exhibitions.
Ba is a Senegalese painter whose works reflect a limited palate and an intricate, intimate and engaging compositional style. Many works at first glance appear to have elements of tatted lace and embroidery work suggesting the idea of quilting, of assemblage of repurposed components, a constructed community, a redemption. When you read about the author's life and inspirations, you recognize aspects within the works reflecting the contemporary realities and controversies of life in a modern west African city like Dakar--issues inextricably tied to the larger world of international greed, exploitation and political power. A corrupt and unjust world. And yet, I was drawn to the tenderness and universal humanity expressed in the figures Ba nearly always builds this paintings around. It seemed to suggest the resilience of the people, their ability to retain their dignity and transcend these circumstances beyond their control. Like the proverbial onion, the more you peel one of Ba's paintings, the more you discover to wonder at.
This is Ba's first solo exhibition at a major American Art Museum, it is hard to imagine that it will be his last. These 15 works will be on exhibit into April of 2023.
Compartment-aller simple 3 (One-Way Trip #3), 2022
Oil, acrylic, colored pencil, gel pen and white correction fluid on canvas
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