Seyni Awa Camara

Seyni Awa Camara is a Senegalese sculptor from the Jola ethnic group.^[1] She was born c. 1945 in Oussouye, Senegal, and currently resides in Bignona,^[2][3] where she works with clay creating statues that range from 12 inches to 8 feet tall.^[4]

Seyni Awa Camara
"Seyni Awa Camara in September 2008" by Sergio Pasini is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born	Seyni Camara 1945 (age 79–80) Oussouye, Ziguinchor Region, Senegal
Nationality	Senegalese
Known for	Clay sculptures and statues

Biography

A statue made by Camara, 2017

Seyni Awa Camara's father, a man named Sousou, was originally from Guinea and moved to Ziguinchor. Her mother, a woman named Sereer, was from Oussouye, Ziguinchor Region, Senegal, where Camara was born c. 1945.^[2][3] It is unknown how many siblings she has, although it is known that she is the only daughter of her family.^[3][5]

According to Michèle Odeyé-Finzi, a sociologist, at the age of 12 Camara, alongside her brothers, wandered into the woods. After being lost for four months, she and her brothers returned within days of one another, each holding the same sculpture. Both Camara and her brothers claim during their time in the woods, God taught them how to make statues and sculptures such as the ones they brought home with them.^[3][5] In contrast, Moustapha Sall, an anthropologist, states that Seyni learned from her mother's practice of pottery as a child.^[3] Fatou Kandé Senghor, a Senegalese film director who has known Camara for several years and interviewed her, also agrees with this narrative, stating that the mystical tale of Camara being lost is a made up narrative to appeal to white people who might buy Camara's work.^[5]

She was married to Samba Diallo until he passed. Diallo had multiple wives, as his Islamic faith, which Camara shares, permitted. Those wives had children, but Camara struggled with child-bearing and did not produce any biological children.^[3][5]

Artwork

Even though she learned how to sculpt and fire from her mother,^[6] Camara's art strongly differs from the typically functional pottery of the Senegalese region. She creates figure-like sculptures ranging in size from 12 inches tall to 8 feet tall, representing personal symbols.^[4] Her three sons help her fire them in an open hearth kiln before displaying them in and around her house.^[5] She has authorized the use of bronze castings of her work since the terracottas are too delicate to travel.^[2][1]

Themes

Camara's art touches on many themes, most notably her struggles with childbearing and not having any biological children of her own. Fatou Kandé Senghor made a film on her entitled Giving Birth in 2015, based on her art, processes, and struggles relating to childbearing. According to Senghor, Camara creates sculptures that represent her traumatic past, after being married at 15 and attempting to have children, which would later be the cause of her struggles with childbearing.^[5] Other themes can be seen throughout her sculptures, such as animals, religion, spiritual beings, marriage, couples, and family.^[3][5]

Exhibitions

Camara made her exhibition debut in 1989 in the Magiciens de la Terre, Centre Georges Pompidou show at the La Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris France. Since then, she has had both solo and group exhibitions in France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Norway, and other European countries. Camara's work has been exhibited in the United States only once, from 2005-2006 in The Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC) of Jean Pigozzi.^[6][7] Most notably, Gallery Baronian in Brussels has organized several exhibitions of Seyni Awa Camara, in 2020, 2021, and April 2024.^[8][9][10]