Born in 1986 in Bamako, Mali
Lives and works in Bamako, Mali
Ibrahim Ballo graduated from the National Arts Institute of Bamako in 2012. He continued his studies by pursuing a master’s degree in Visual Arts Conservatory of Arts and Multimedia in Mali. Ballo was awarded with the Sahm Workshop Prize in Visual Arts in 2017 during the International Meeting of Contemporary Art (RIAC).
Raised in a family of artists, he followed his destiny. The weaving technique on his canvas is inspired by the cotton spinning of his grandmother which he developed further and weighed down over the course of his training.
The harmony is dazzling in his creations. The most important point for Ibrahim Ballo is not only the beauty of his creations but rather the message that they convey. This is why Ibrahim Ballo often represents his characters with a red spot on his face to say that each human being camouflages a fragment of suffering in him. His paintings evoke themes such as oppression, betrayal, war and violence.