Abdoulaye Konaté is recognised for his striking, large-scale tapestries, which are made from woven and dyed strips of cotton and sewn together to form layered tableaus. Influenced by the West African tradition of using textiles as a means of commemoration, Konaté takes this idea further by exploring how histories of culture and environment are conveyed through material.

Konaté studied painting at the Institut National des Arts in Bamako and the Instituto Superior des Arte in Havana, Cuba, where he lived for seven years before returning to Mali. Major exhibitions include Viva Arte Viva – the 57th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Venice (2017); Symphonie en couleur, Blain|Southern, London (2016); Abdoulaye Konaté, Arken Museum for Modern Kunst, Copenhagen (2016) and Still (the) Barbarians, EVA International, Ireland’s Biennial, Limerick (2016). Konaté has received national honours from Mali (Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mali) and from France (Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France).