Niger

Artist: Otenia Chantal

Born: 1964 in the Vendée

In the beginning, her work was influenced by Dieudonné Oténia a famous painter from Benin. Being influenced by his work, she still manages to maintain a hint of Gauguin in her artwork. She uses the Chalk-Painting Method for this, which she employs to achieve an astounding level of precision as well as a work that is rich in colours.

She has been living in Berlin since 1999

Telephone: 0049(0)30 825 96 51

Interpretation

The bears are supposed to be a picture book telling us what lives through or in the desert.

The largest part of Niger belongs to the Sahara, Ténér- and Sahel deserts. Only 2-3 % of the country can be used for farming. In the humid lowlands along the Niger rice is grown. Since the old days salt from the desert has been traded in for food from the South.

The so-called "blue men", the Tuareg, the nomads from the Sahara are veiled, not the Tuareg women. The turban and the face veil, the famous blue festive dress, are an integral part of their menswear.

The noble Tuareg are bejewelled with the big silver cross of Agadez.

There is no better place than the desert to observe the stars.