Ousmane Bâ

I create dreamlike spaces in which I liberate racialized bodies from societal prejudice, from physical gravity.
— Ousmane Bâ

Ousmane Bâ began his creative journey in his hometown of Strasbourg, where he honed his artistic skills as a self-taught artist through various audiovisual projects in collaboration with local collectives.

Today, his practice spans drawing, painting, and collage. His work focuses on the concept of space and explores the ideas of belonging and freedom.

Between 2013 and 2017, the artist refined his aesthetic vision by working as a graphic designer for various French startups. At the same time, he drew inspiration from his travels and encounters to enrich his work.

Senegalese, Japanese, and French cultures greatly influence the painter’s creations. When he decided to move to Japan in 2018, his artistic eye solidified. Through Nihonga, a traditional Japanese painting technique, Ousmane Bâ elevates the human form. Like sculptures in motion, the bodies come to life against a backdrop of washi paper collage. Warm and cold tones intertwine harmoniously, creating characters with diverse stories but a shared sensitivity.

Constantly evolving, Ousmane Bâ is a versatile, chameleon-like artist who navigates between various cultural and geographical influences. He gained public recognition at the Dakar Biennale in 2022, where he exhibited his series of works titled Interweaving Entrelacement at Galerie Atiss. This was followed by numerous exhibitions around the world: in Paris at the AKAA African Art Fair, in Lagos at the prestigious Art x Lagos international art fair, as well as in New York at 1:54, in Geneva, and in South Africa.

Resolutely cosmopolitan, Ousmane Bâ remains deeply inspired by his Fulani roots, a traditionally pastoral people of West Africa. The celestial dimension of his works reflects an elevating intention, a desire to transcend the reality of space and time through art.

Selected artworks

Le corps qui refuse la chute, 2025

Un instant avant le satori, 2025

Par les ancêtres, apprendre à flotter, 2025

L'appel de l'antigravite, 2025

Gallery exhibitions

AFRIKOYO E
The Floating Worlds of Ousmane Bâ

15.01 – 21.02.2026