Category Archives: Burkina Faso

Village Artists

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Burkina Faso 2003 We stayed the night in a Gerounsi village. Our tents were placed on the flat roofs of the adobe houses. In the morning, the women gave us a demonstration of their artistic skills by painting a village wall. Thinking … Continue reading

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Burkina Faso: Naïve Art

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Burkina Faso 2003 A Naïve painting done by converts to Roman Catholicism some where in Burkina Faso. The church reminded me of the Spanish Mission churches in California where the indigenous people had decorated the churches in their own special style.   Merry … Continue reading

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Expert Advice

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Burkina Faso 2001 The older women were respected for their place in the tribe’s hierarchy as well as for their artistic skills in painting designs on houses. They weren’t shy about offering advice.

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Burkina Faso: Painted Houses

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Burkina Faso 2002 A Guerounsi boy stands near his home. We spent the night in this small village. Frequently, when we visited villages, boys of this fellow’s age would act out but the Guerounsi children did not. Maybe they had been told to … Continue reading

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Burkina Faso Art

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Burkina Faso 2000 I’m going to make a print of this today. Could anything be more beautiful? The uneven checkerboard design, the diamonds becoming triangles…were there two artists and one forgot the design or had the artist simply been inspired??? The … Continue reading

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A Burkina Faso Woman

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Burkina Faso (West Africa) 2001 Blind now. Old and alone, she sits in her tiny home lost in thought. Despite her handicap, she takes care of herself. Her dress is freshly laundered. Her home is clean: her possessions neatly stacked in … Continue reading

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The Committee

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Burkina Faso 2001  Guerounsi tribeswomen give their opinion on home decor.  We spent the night in this village. There weren’t many of us tourists…maybe 8 or so.  Alberto Nicheli, of TransAfrica, was our leader. Because he knew the headman of the tribe, we were allowed to … Continue reading

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Gurunsi Village Restoration

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A Gurunsi woman prepares to re-roof her home. She will use the bamboo to support the adobe that she will pile on as the topmost layer. The bamboo will be laid cross wise onto poles cut from young trees. Perhaps … Continue reading

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Lobe Woman with Lip Plug

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This was a Lobe village in Burkina Faso. We were told that Lobe women traditionally have had these lip plugs inserted as a way to make themselves less desirable for the slavers who had once captured them. The lip plugs can be a piece … Continue reading

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Gurunsi Village

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 A village woman showed us how they paint their homes. They mixed the paint themselves from the red earth. Nearby is a calabash full of adobe for patching purposes. This woman was an elder and seemed to be looked up … Continue reading

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