Issouf DIERO

Born in 1975 in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second city of Burkina Faso, I was brought up according to the traditions of my Dafin people. Very young, I became a "student" of a coranic school but I was, in fact, confronted with the reality of the street. This part of my history, this special link with urban life, and my family origins have been a real source of inspiration: the strength of my work. Vulcanizer by day, I created my first paintings and sculptures at night in the late 1990’s from tires, inner tubes and harvested objects from the streets. From 1999 to 2004, I made my first sculptures, paintings and large format works. Over the years, rubber, laterite, charcoal and bronze have become my materials of choice: creative media that resonate with where I come from, what I am, what I create.