Artist Interview with Kine Aw

Kiné shared her experiences with art as a form of engagement on both the individual level as

well as with the collective imagination. During this discussion, she expressed her role as actor

and spectator in her creative process, and what it means to be creating with ‘rootedness and

openness’. She also shared an exploration of the African Feminine and the many nuances that

exist for her as a Senegalese woman and painter, pushing through taboos and staying on the

innovative edge in art and creativity.

My painting is a profound reflection of my interior and invisible world. As with a mirror, I allow myself to be guided by my spirit; and attempt to exteriorize, and give birth to my own vision of feminine identity. I make that identity visible through various media: acrylics, pure pigments, oil or tar on canvas. It is also a vision which strives to reconcile the traditional and the modern, through inquiry, questions, and analysis of the daily life of the African woman in general: in her social universe, confronting her challenges and rebellions, her temptations and various conditions, her strengths, talents and weaknesses.

This artist interview was hosted by Curator, Shiloh Sophia, with support and translation provided by Elder Semerit Strachan