Omar Ba

Born in Senegal in 1977, Omar Ba develops a painting practice that engages with contemporary political and social questions. His work addresses inequalities of wealth and power, migration issues and changing relationships with the natural world. He brings together elements from African and European cultures and works on cardboard, canvas or wall, prepared with a black ground over which he layers a vivid palette dominated by primary colours. Rich in detail, his paintings bring microcosms and larger compositions together, between fields of colour and meticulous outlines.

His training includes the École nationale des Beaux-Arts du Sénégal and the École supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Genève, where he earns a postgraduate diploma in 2005, as well as a period at ECAV-MAPS in Sierre. He lives and works between Dakar and Geneva. His work is presented by Galerie Guy Bärtschi in 2010, followed by a major exhibition at CentrePasquArt in Biel in 2013. In 2017, his works are shown, among other venues, at BOZAR in Brussels and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.

Devoir de mémoire (2023) extends his work across 149 moving boxes: the work, measuring 301 × 928.5 × 39.5 cm, combines oil, acrylic, Indian ink, Tipp-Ex, marker and coloured pencils. Shadow 2 (2021), a work on cardboard measuring 241 × 160 cm, is made with oil, acrylic and Indian ink. In 2024, Ba creates forty original works to illustrate the Fulani tale Kaïdara by Amadou Hampâté Bâ, as part of an artist’s book published by Éditions Diane de Selliers.

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal dedicates the exhibition Visions partagées to him, while the Baltimore Museum of Art presents Omar Ba: Political Animals. His works are held in the collections of Crédit Suisse and Mirabaud, as well as at Louvre Abu Dhabi and in the Swiss National Collection in Basel.

Works recorded at auction

Piguet

"The Law-1"

Gouache

Original catalogue wording

"The Law-1"
gouache

Catalogue period : 2026-09-08 — 2026-09-23

Published result : 17000 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 5000–8000

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Artcurial Beurret Bailly Widmer · Lot 165

Form Nr. 1, 2006

Acrylic on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Form Nr. 1, 2006
Acryl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2024-06-19

Published result : 3713 CHF

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : CHF 3000–5000

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Artcurial Beurret Bailly Widmer · Lot 166

Untitled

Mixed media on paper

Original catalogue wording

Ohne Titel
Mischtechnik auf Papier

Catalogue period : 2024-06-19

Published result : 4456 CHF

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : CHF 3000–5000

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Artcurial Beurret Bailly Widmer · Lot 167

Form Nr. 2, 2006

Acrylic on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Form Nr. 2, 2006
Acryl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2024-06-19

Published result : 3713 CHF

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : CHF 3000–5000

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Piguet

Sans titre,

Oil on cardboard

Original catalogue wording

Sans titre,
huile sur carton

Catalogue period : 2024-03-13

Published result : 20000 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 10000–15000

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