Born in 1977, Segou, Mali
Lives and works in Bamako, Mali
Amadou Sanogo was born in 1977 in Ségou, Mali. His ancestors were noble Sénoufo farmers who founded the village of Zangorola in the Sikasso region, then part of the Kingdom of Kénédougou—the “Land of Light.” Their kings, Tiéba and Babemba Traoré, are remembered and respected as the last leaders to resist the French colonial army during its campaign in Mali. Sanogo often reflects on his origins: “To know where you are going, you must know where you come from.” He sees himself as heir to a land of history, a symbol of resistance with a rich artistic heritage.
Determined to follow his own path, Sanogo diverged from the expectations placed upon him. While he was expected to become an engineer, he chose instead to enroll at the National Institute of Arts (INA). Although, as he notes, “a noble should not engage in the activities of griots,” he trained in the technique of Bogolan—a traditional Malian cloth—before turning to painting. Frustrated by academic instruction, he pursued his own artistic research, developing a unique visual language. His originality led him to collaborate in 2006 with Simon Njami and Pascale Marthine Tayou, and he received support from Abdoulaye Konaté, artist and director of INA.
A humanist and free thinker, Sanogo draws upon tradition as a source of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration. He is particularly interested in Bambara proverbs, which he considers essential for understanding the full diversity of Malian culture. From a young age, he earned respect for his listening skills and objectivity.
Committed and community-minded, Sanogo founded Atelier Badialan in 2014 in the heart of a Wahhabi neighborhood, welcoming young artists. For the first time in Bamako, artists financed their own studio, living and working together, creating in an atmosphere of freedom and collaboration, and sharing their knowledge with the public.