IN THE PAINT — Artist Spotlight
“Art has really been the catalyst to a lot of movements around the world. It’s really the language that’s universal. Anybody can look at a body of work and get something from it.For artists, the best thing is be able to have our art shown to the widest variety of people. It’s what we create for. It’s what I create for. I create for the largest amount of people to see my work, and learn about my culture through my artwork.”
Penda Diakite
Penda Diakite
Malian-American Artist, Penda Diakité, grew up between Mali, West Africa and Portland, OR. Her artwork meshes the vibrant colors and patterns of her Malian heritage with influences of her American upbringing and is a reflection of her experiences as a bicultural Black woman.
Diakité was first introduced to painting as a child in Mali, as she learned traditional bogolanfini (mud-cloth) painting. At age 10, she published her first award-winning children's book with the Scholastic Press, which was the catalyst for creatively expressing her identity, and delving deeper into the life she straddled between Mali and the United States.
Penda graduated California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in Film/Video and a minor in Cultural Studies. While earning her degree, she developed her unique mixed media collage style which like her film work, centers around identity. Following her experimental film shorts, which screened in festivals internationally, Penda began exhibiting her artwork in different galleries on the West and East Coasts. Diakité is currently based in Los Angeles, CA.