Tenderness, Texture, and the Truth of the Artist

What stayed with me most from that day was not only the work itself, but the person behind it.

There are artists whose presence feels guarded, and others whose presence feels open. With Opa, everything felt sincere. He is, quite simply, a generous spirit. A beautiful person. And this truth is not separate from his art. It moves through the work. It becomes visible in the way his pieces hold emotion, softness, and strength at the same time.

We took the time to meet properly, in person. We spoke about our respective journeys and current projects, and I shared with him how honoured we are to represent his work to an Australian audience. He, in return, spoke with excitement and humility. He has worked with several galleries and exhibited internationally, but Australia will be a first. A new horizon.

“Maison Touré is my home”

During our exchange, Opa said something that touched me deeply. He smiled and said:
“Maison Touré is my home.”

This sentence carried more than politeness. It carried trust. It reminded me that a gallery is not only a place to sell art. It is a place where an artist should feel respected, protected, and understood. His words felt like a blessing.

And he added, with genuine warmth, an invitation to the Australian public: to come and discover the beauty of Africa, and more specifically, the beauty of Mali.

Four works, four emotional registers

For Maison Touré, Opa proposed four works. Each one carries its own energy, yet together they form a coherent world. One of them, the largest, measures 136 by 135 centimetres. He described it as a very important piece for him, created in a spirit of poetry, energy, and softness.

The work is titled N'Terini (The Childhood Friend). It is rooted in childhood memory, inspired by a bond he shared with two close friends. More than nostalgia, the painting speaks of fraternity, solidarity, and the quiet tenderness of belonging. In the studio, I felt the sincerity behind this subject. It is not sentimental. It is intimate.

Another work, titled Dance and Rhythm, carries a different intensity. It had recently been exhibited and had already met with strong success, yet it was being removed from the current exhibition because it was destined for Australia. Opa explained that this work was created during a very difficult period in his life, at the end of Covid. It holds a reflection on identity, survival, and reconstruction.

What struck me was the way he described the piece. He spoke of integrating multiple figures to express different emotions and stages of life. The painting becomes a landscape of inner states. It is not a narrative. It is a transformation.

Painting with the memory of sculpture

Opa shared something essential about his technique. He began his artistic path through sculpture while still at school. That origin remains present in his painting today. Even on canvas, his work carries a sculptural quality. Relief. Depth. A physicality that makes the surface feel alive.

His paintings do not sit flat. They breathe. They hold layers. They invite touch, even when the viewer can only look.

This is reinforced by his love of materials. Opa experiments with fabric, paper, fragments of metal, and other textures. He is constantly searching for supports that can adapt to his language. In his hands, material becomes memory. It becomes evidence of time.

Research as a mission

One of the works he presented belongs to a new research direction. Opa described it beautifully. For him, each new series corresponds to a new mission. This is not simply stylistic change. It is a form of growth.

He explained that earlier in his career, he did not always have the means to experiment as freely as he wished. Today, he can explore more, especially through fabric, and this has opened new possibilities. His practice is expanding. Not away from identity, but deeper into it.

A practice already international, yet still in motion

Opa’s works are already held in several countries, including the United States, Morocco, and others. He develops multiple series in parallel. Yet what impressed me most was his humility.

He said something that many great artists share, but few say so clearly. He is never fully satisfied. When a work is finished, he immediately wants to go further, to search for something else. For him, being an artist is the work of a lifetime, with highs and lows, but always driven by the same passion.

Why Opa Bathily at Maison Touré

Maison Touré exists to introduce contemporary African art with refinement, clarity, and intention. Opa Bathily’s work belongs naturally within this vision. It is sophisticated in material, emotional in language, and deeply human in spirit.

His art carries texture, but also tenderness. It carries experimentation, but also memory. It carries Mali, but it speaks universally.

Meeting him in Bamako reminded me of something simple and essential. When the artist is true, the work becomes true as well.

Fatym Touré
Founder & Curator, Maison Touré