Born in 1985 in Kaffrine, Senegal, Alioune Diagne lives and works between his homeland and France, where he spent nearly a decade. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Dakar, he quickly distinguished himself by developing, in 2013, a singular mode of expression he calls “figuro-abstro.”

 

This style is defined by radiant figurative compositions built from a myriad of abstract elements the artist refers to as his “unconscious signs.” These signs, which permeate both the background and the figures themselves, give form to what lies beyond words: emotions, memories, fragments of recollection.

They compel the viewer to shift position, to narrow their gaze, gradually revealing the subject of the work and establishing an unprecedented relationship between artwork and observer.

Across scenes drawn from everyday life in Senegal and from the African diaspora, his practice weaves together dynamism and narrative complexity. Inspired by the philosophy of calligraphy, “figuro-abstro” functions as an imaginary script, a universal language that recounts episodes tied to Diagne’s personal life and the memory of his travels.

An engaged artist, Diagne also addresses pressing issues such as ecology, the role of women in society, racism, migration, and questions of transmission and legacy.

 

For more than a decade, his works have travelled the world, meeting audiences through numerous exhibitions in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

In 2022, his work entered the Private Artistic Collection of the Senegalese State, and he was among the prizewinners of the 14th Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Art.

From September 2023 to March 2024, a solo exhibition titled Ndox – Glint at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rouen placed his practice in dialogue with Impressionism masters, while in early 2024, Galerie Templon in Paris presented Seede, an exploration of testimonies of migration across the Mediterranean, one of his most deeply rooted themes.

 

In April 2024, Alioune Diagne had the honor of representing Senegal in its very first national pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Major acquisitions by the Denver Art Museum, the Schneider Foundation and the Saudi Arabian Museum of Contemporary Art in 2024 preceded his first U.S. solo exhibition in 2025, marking a significant new chapter in his artistic journey.