Issoufou Lankondé was born on July 4, 1954 in Winditane. Passionate about drawing since childhood, he moved towards sculpture after a visit to the CCFN (Franco-Nigerien Cultural Center) in Niamey. In 1969, he made his very first sculpture for an exhibition at the American Cultural Center in Niamey, which at that time was located near the Grand Marché. Following this event, he put together exhibitions at the CCFN in Niamey and Zinder and at the Canadian Institute of Art, all while teaching fine art at the Issa Béri Secondary School and INJS.
Thanks to his exhibitions, he showed his work in several countries before leaving Niger in 1974 to perfect his art at the School of Industrial and Fine Arts in Bourges, France. He also studied at the Museum of Paleontology and the School of Fine Arts in Tours, France. Issoufou Lankondé's work is scattered throughout the cities of Niger. Most notably, he is credited with the horse of Diffa, the busts of Oumarou Ganda at the CCOG and Boubou Hama at the National Museum of Niamey, the DST standard bearer and fountain, and Niamey's city hall gate. His work also includes the giraffes at the National Museum of Niamey and the hôtel de l’amitié (friendship hall) in Tahoua, the sculpture of the Virgin Mary in the Cathedral of Niamey, and the sculpture of the franc CFA in the BCEAO compound. In 2007, he participated in a large sculptors' conference in Changesin, China where he received a medal for his life-size sculpture of a Tuareg camel driver. In December 2008, he was decorated as an officer of the Order of Academic Palms by the president of the Republic of Niger. Today, Issoufou Lankondé is working on the development of the first School of Fine Arts of Niger, which will be located in Balleyara.
FOFO: Talk to us about the future School of Fine Arts.
LANKONDE: In fact, three schools will be established in Niger thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Culture: The National Institute of Art, which will be run by the State; The Alphadi School of Fashion; and The School of Fine Arts, which will be directed by me. The School of Fine Arts will be constructed in Balleyara because the financial backers decided that it should be outside of Niamey. Classes in all forms of fine art will be offered there. It will be a boarding school and educational scholarships will be awarded to the best students. One of my objectives is to help street kids by sending them to this school. The government gave me 10,000 m2 of land for this school and another 15,000 m2 to create a Museum of Prehistory where I would like to create sculptural reproductions of prehistoric animals.
FOFO: How are things going for the fine arts in Niger?
LANKONDE: I am one of the people working for the development of all forms of fine art. In Niger, there are very gifted artists in many areas. I strongly encourage Tréteaux of Niger because they work for cultural development. All of the disciplines are taught there: storytelling, music, dance, theatre, puppetry, painting, sculpture, fashion, and even martial arts. The government should fund this organization in order to support its programs for the promotion and development of cultural and sport activities. The museum should also be encouraged. A number of art forms are taught there, but unfortunately, drawing and sculpture are not. Some Nigerien sculptors are emerging; for example, the one who made the lion in front of the USN (Nigerien Student Union) headquarters or the one who made the likeness of Djibo Bakari in front of the municipal building. There is also the person who made the bust of Abdou Moumouni at the university. I truly encourage these artists and urge them to take pride in their work. Artists don't need PhDs. Here in Niger, we have artists who don't even speak French. Art needs people who can express themselves through their work, people who have their own style. Take, for example, Rissa Ixa, whose paintings are immediately recognizable. This is what is most important. You have to be passionate about your art before you can claim to be an artist. You can't think immediately about money.
FOFO: What should be done to improve things?
LANKONDE: It would be wonderful for Nigerien artists to be able to offer classes at academic institutions. I hope that the government of Niger will institute the teaching of fine arts in the school curriculum. In Niger, people don't maintain their heritage or national treasures. I was in Tahoua recently and I saw that my sculpture of Captain Issoufou Marafa was in a deplorable state. Even at the museum, they are incapable of resuming the painting of the giraffe. The embassy cultural centers should open their doors for training workshops in the different forms of art. The former French ambassador to Niger really liked sculpture and provided a lot of support to Nigerien sculptors, most notably Boubé, who now lives in France. The government has helped me a lot, but the relationship between the government and artists is a little like that of a father and his children. There is always a favorite who is supported and others who are neglected. I believe that the government is doing it's best. Numerous artists like Zalika Souley or even Yazi Dogo have been decorated by the State. It is truly a pleasure for me to see artists evolve to the heights of Denké-Denké or Alphadi.
FOFO: Talk to us about your sculptures.
LANKONDE: As you know, there are many sculpting techniques. In general, you begin to make your work in wax with moulds that will allow you to reproduce the artwork in any material afterwords. I specialize in monumental sculptures. There are only two people in Niger who know how to use this technique: me and Boubé. When I look at my earlier work and what I am doing now, I find that there is a great difference between the two. Making portraits is the most difficult to carry out. When it comes to making one, the model must be right there next to you or you have to have a photo of the person. If you really want to be a successful artist in Africa and you don't have a fresh style, it's really important to do portraits because you can always pull them off. During my trips I had to do this as I traveled from town to town. I would pick someone, sculpt their portrait, and earn a bit of money before continuing on my way.
FOFO: Is sculpting profitable?
LANKONDE: In Niger, art really is not profitable. Even if you can earn millions of CFA by selling your work, it doesn't happen every day. You can go a whole year settling for small sales at 10,000 FCFA... To be an artist, you really have to have patience. You must always create, without a break. With painting or sculpture there are a lot of difficulties in terms of pricing. Each time we name our price, the buyer does not take into account how much we have already spent on materials for creating the piece. They don't see the value of the masterpiece! Imagine a painting by Picasso. It sells for billions, yet, when he painted it, it only cost him the canvas and paints. When it comes to commissioned work, it's easy to become a slave in the sense that the characteristics of the work that you are supposed to create are imposed on you. It's like being in the army. They tell you the way it is, and you have to accept it. For example, you bring your logo to me and I notice that there are several errors, but you insist on it and, in the end, I am obligated to make it the way you want.
FOFO: What projects are you working on right now?
LANKONDE: I am invited to go to China in July. In Niger, I have many sculpture projects, most notably the creation of a life size airplane and the development of the Museum of Prehistory. I am also working a lot on the construction of the school.
To contact Issoufou Lankondé: lankoandeissoufou@yahoo.fr
Traduction: Irene Waggener
Monday, July 04, 2011
Article publié le Saturday, July 9, 2011