AMAG Presents: Beatrice Lebreton & Ibou Ndoye “Niarry Kanaam”

Béatrice Lebreton and  Ibou Ndoye are a team of two artists with a common heritage and a love for African culture.  With “Niarry Kanaam”  (“double face”  in the language of Wolof)  they share their own perspectives on the influence of African Masks in their art, and hope to create an open conversation with diverse communities.

Béatrice Lebreton’s imagery speaks of women, spirituality and global connections. She works mainly in acrylics and watercolors, but adds other elements with diverse

cultural and historical context.  Mixing realistic human figures with more metaphorical symbols, shapes, textures and bold colors, Lebreton reflects her creative process to build a visual story.

Ibou Ndoye says that his work is  “… influenced by the socio-cultural elements of my environment…”   that his art,   “…can only reflect a combination of modernism and traditionalism.”   The traditional aspects of his work are informed by his native Senegal and its tradition of glass painting.

Ndoye notes that  “Glass being a medium of combination and interaction gives me much more flexibility to express my social feelings and people’s reactions to social issues. My broken glass painting derive directly from the results of misunderstandings, misjudgments and misconceptions, by people, of people, from different social backgrounds.” 

Ndoye goes on to say that broken glass paintings are full of meaning, that they can   “… define broken hopes, broken promises, broken relationships, broken friendships and broken language as well as the (strivings) of people to overcome these things.”

“Niarry Kanaam”  runs from January 22 through February 17.  A reception for the artists is scheduled for Wednesday, February 6, from 4:30 – 6:30 pm.  A gallery talk will be given at 5:30 that evening.