paintings November 2015

Envol, acrylique sur toile, 60X90 cm 

oiseaux bleu, acrylique sur toile 40X60 cm   

Buverteta, acrylique sur toile, 60X90 cm 

Rikha, acrylique sur bois, 20X30 cm

Zaida I, acrylique sur bois, 20X30 cm

Zaida II, acrylique sur bois, 20X30 cm

Zueinoua, acrylique sur bois, 20X30 cm

melhefas, acrylique sur isorel, 20X20 cm

'douceur et ardeur'

une recherche autour du voile et du mouvement

''Octobre 2014, je commence un travail de recherche autour de la danse féminine Maure.

Le ''melhefa'', voile vaporeux et fluide que les femmes du Sahara portent, est utilisé différemment selon les mouvements de la danse.

C'est cette recherche de mouvement que j'ai voulue travailler.

Peintre de paysages et de portraits, plutôt de l'inertie.

Comment j'aborde ce projet? Je dessine, je croque, je danse, écoute la musique et je peins.

Exposition à l'IFM de Nouakchott novembre 2015

Music in Nouakchott, Chinese à la Ancienne Maison des Jeunes

Ambiance et dance, ancienne Maison des Jeunes

Nouvel année Chinois

les troupes de Mongolie

Loud and colorful and full of an enthusiastic audience (mostly composed by Mauritanians) the show organized by the Chinese Embassy to commemorate the Chinese New Year - the year of the monkey - was a winner. And an occasion to keep experimenting pencils on this special paper made of 80% calcium carbonate that comes from limestone recovered from quarries and from building Industry waste, the other 20% if you're wondering are from non-toxic resins.

Music in Nouakchott, Hassani at Fondation Malouma

Mohamed O Hambare et Lale avec l'ardine

Make O Dendeni avec le tidinit

Sedoum O Beybou O Eide et sa soeur qui répare la corde de l'ardine

musicians at Fondation Malouma

Ghady et Dilite N'gdhey et Lale Teneykmiche

Malouma et l'ambassadeur

What a delight to hear to some bits of live music by these extraordinary musicians from the old schools of 'Trarza', 'Tagant' and the 'deux Hodhs'. 

The 'Fondation Malouma produced this double CD with traditional songs from the Hassani culture.

 Having been transmitted from generation to generation orally for centuries is now the work of the Fondation to put that knowledge in written. They have been having the Financial support of the AFAC and of musiciens like Mike Harting.

Ouadane sans Festival de Villes Anciennes II

Mobile dentistes were present for a week and young and old came everyday to solve their problems. The mobile unit is part of the program run by the ONG Le Sothiou - unité dentaire mobile , an Italien touriste which is a dentiste also helped out as an assistant. While the dental unity at the medical Center of Ouadane is not equipped to do a lot of work, the Small bus from the ONG is ready to do any kind of operation.

Dr Baidy Lô and Dr Anami Villa at the medical center of Ouadane 

Dr lô, Dr Villa and assistant Baba in the mobile dental bus.

Armel was another of the visitors we met at Ouadane he was travelling with his mother and really enjoying the trip.

Armel from Vesoil

Another visitor was Hayou, she came from the town of Zouerate to see the Festival and ended up helping her cousin Zaida in the kitchen of the Auberge Vasque.

Hayou from Zouerate

preparing the onion sauce

Ouadane, sans festival de villes Anciennes

Every year we leave Nouakchott at the end of December and spend sometime relaxing and enjoying the change in the small Oasis of Ouadane in the Adrar.

The Souk and Landrover

Music, meeting new people, seeing our friends and visiting the oasis close to Ouadane fill our journeys.

Musique from Oualata

Young girls singing in a small grocery

wedding with dancer

dancing and video recording

dancers and young men in the roof terrace

Singing in the market

I normally dont sketch a lot in Ouadane but this year I finished the sketch book I brought in 5 days. I was given a very beautiful one in rice paper by Japanese photographer Chizuko Kato who's been travelling in Mauritania every year since 2002 you can see her work here

Chizuko Kato and her guide Eylia

Like every year we meet plenty of people who travel through all Mauritania, solo or with a guide or with friends. This year we met for the first time Jacques Bonnet an 80 year old french man that has been living in Chinguetty (another well known oasis in the Adrar) for the last 20 years. He's the owner of two camels and he moves around by foot in the company of his camel driver, Nefa.

Jacques Bonnet, chamelier de Chinguetti

He loves going to the Festival's by camel and it took him one week form Chinguetti to Ouadane as there was lots of grass and they let their camels graze. When the Festival is in Oualata it takes him 40 days to arrive there and another 40 days to get back.

Jacques and Nefa, camel drivers

the camel's of Jacques and Nefa