Malick Sidibé - Painted Frames

Loose Joints is honoured to announce Painted Frames, a little-known collection of works by the late Malick Sidibé. Known as the 'Eye of Bamako,' Sidibé documented the lives, style, and energy of post-independence Mali with unparalleled intimacy. His iconic black-and-white photographs, from the exuberant youth of Bamako's dancehalls to the self-assured subjects in his studio, captured a nation defining itself in a moment of profound social and cultural change. Painted Frames reimagines this legacy, blending Sidibé's hallmark portraits with vivid, hand-painted coloured frames created in collaboration with the artist and local Malian artisans toward the end of Sidibé's life. These frames were not mere embellishments but functional objects — keepsakes and symbols of status, gifted, circulated, cherished and shared. They reflect the joy, pride, and self-expression of Sidibé's subjects, reminding us that his photography was always a social practice first and foremost, designed to celebrate t