Seni Camara
Mama Africa, 1991/92

Artist
Seni Camara

Title
Mama Africa

Year of creation
1991/92

Technique and dimensions
Fired clay, 64 x 21 x 25 cm

Year of acquisition
2018

As a sculpture that cannot be formally integrated into the classic, Western-influenced art canon, Mama Africa , 1991/92, by Seni Camara captivates the viewer. The Senegalese artist's work was part of the exhibition Hello World. Revision of a collection in the Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum for Contemporary Art – Berlin with “Where do we come from? Sculptural Forms of Appropriation” can be seen in the 2018 exhibition section entitled “Sculptural Forms of Appropriation”. Origin and offspring are also central themes in Camara's work: Mama Africa shows a standing figure with large eyes, a prominent nose and a slightly open mouth.

Numerous small heads can be seen on her body with arms and hands that seem to be clinging to her; like a mother who carries and feeds her children. For Camara, the artistic creative process includes an important spiritual component, which is also expressed in the materiality of her work. The figures are made from clay – an earthy, natural product from their homeland – and fired using a traditional process. The specific sculptural form arises from working on the material, without any preparatory designs.

(Kristina Scream)