Malick Sidibe: Painted Frames

Loose Joints is honoured to announce Painted Frames, a little-known collection of works by the late Malick Sidibe. Known as the ‘Eye of Bamako,’ Sidibe documented the lives, style, and energy of post-independence Mali with unparalleled intimacy. His iconic black-and-white photographs, from the exuberant youth of Bamako’s dancehalls to the self-assured subjects in his studio, captured a nation defining itself in a moment of profound social and cultural change.

Painted Frames reimagines this legacy, blending Sidibe’s hallmark portraits with vivid, hand-painted coloured frames created in collaboration with the artist and local Malian artisans toward the end of Sidibe’s life. These frames were not mere embellishments but functional objects — keepsakes and symbols of status, gifted, circulated, cherished and shared. They reflect the joy, pride, and self-expression of Sidibe’s subjects, reminding us that his photography was always a social practice first and foremost, designed to celebrate the interconnectedness of African people, culture, and identity.

This late series highlights Sidibe’s enduring commitment to celebrating Mali’s cultural modernity, emphasising his works as dynamic pieces of social transmission rather than fetishised art objects. By layering painted borders with photographic portraits, Sidibe brought a new richness to his work, amplifying its role as a celebration of social exchange, while also serving as a curatorial gesture in which he gathered together the most important works from his diverse and expansive ?uvre into a jubilant burst of colour and affirmation.