Soly Cissé

Throughout his drawings, sculptures, and neo-expressionistic paintings, Soly Cissé explores the relationship between tradition and modernity, man and nature, and the spiritual and the secular. Characterized by thick, sweeping brushstrokes and lurid color palettes, his compositions depict fantastical worlds where humans, animals, and hybrid creatures commune against backdrops of flat color, linear patterns, and sequences of letters. Throughout this work, Cissé references the ways in which globalization and modernization have eroded traditional values and ways of life. The artist grew up in Dakar during a period of transition as well as social and political unrest—Cissé understands such changes intimately. He believes that art can serve as social activism during upheavals and self-expression for marginalized communities. He has exhibited his work widely within Senegal and has featured in shows in New York, Paris, London, Cologne, Cape Town, Tokyo, and beyond.