By Yunus S Saliu
Works of Mamat Sallah, a digital photography artist, participating in the ongoing Artistic Routes of Saint Louis, Senegal, continuing catching the attention of numerous visitors at the exhibition held at Senegal Research and Documentation Center (Ex IFAN de Saint-Louis), from the 6th of May and will end by the 10th of June 2023.
Mr Sallah who is among the 33 exhibitors at the 9th edition of the exhibition, is the only foreign artist to this year’s Exposition Artistiques De Saint-Louis not only to exhibit but as one of the Guest Mentors.
Speaking to this medium from the exhibition center in Saint Louis – Senegal, Mr. Sallah said the exhibition is extraordinary as this year was better than the previous one that he attended, “it is better in terms of experience, exposure, patronage, networking with other foreign artists and visitors and my works are receiving more attention than I can express.”
Among questions from the visitors is on the style of his work and steps taken to combine it, “the type of works I am exhibiting is different to what many of them used to know this made it special to some other people.”
More so, he explained “My work is a new dimension in the field of photography and it catches the attention of many people which is like a mystery to them as most need more time to study it. This is because the more they look at any of my works, the more new thing unfold.”
As his work is more unique, Mr. Sallah said he is anticipating having a solo exhibition in The Gambia to allow people to familiarize themselves with digital photography art.
He added alongside the exhibition that he is planning to stage in The Gambia will also include a training workshop for many interested people to learn about digital photography art “especially for the young ones that are more interested in photography.”
“And I want to change the perspective of how the photographers see photography by bringing in the young ones to involve in digital photography art than rating photography to be for only ceremony or event,” he added.
To penetrate the world of digital photography art he said “You need to have a story or stories to tell doing this doesn’t mean to give or take portraits of people but to be dynamic in your presentation and combination of works in a very relative work of art.”
This means you should have your concept in mind and go by the concept, he added.
Meanwhile, The Artistic Routes of Saint-Louis is organized annually by the Ndar Creation Association, a cultural association created in 2011 in Saint-Louis in the north of Senegal by young visual artists with the mission of promoting arts and culture in the northern region, but also in Senegal and the rest of the world.