Mali master: Malick Sidibé’s lesser-known photographs are showcased in New York

Malick Sidibe, the photographer from Bamako in Mali, is opening his sixth solo exhibition at the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York – simply titled ‘Malick Sidibe’. Known, and lauded, for both his formal portrait work and candid shots of soirees and nightclubs, this show will chronicle the living master’s métier.
The show combines an assortment of vintage and never-before-exhibited black and white prints, and speaks to the idea of freedom and identity in postcolonial Mali. His recent work, dubbed Vue de Dos, 2001–, and also on display here, comprises women turned with their bare backs to the camera, and so heralds a shift in the artist’s career.
'I have always wanted to present lesser-known works by Malick Sidibé,' says Jack Shainman from the gallery. ' Our exhibition will feature a selection of street scenes, many that have never before been exhibited. It is incredible to trace the same focused intensity that Malick is able to capture across all his varied subjects.'
Sidibe is prolific and constantly collected in private and public institutions across the globe – including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Getty Museum. The artist has also received numerous accolades including the International Center of Photography Infinity Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008, the Hasselblad Award in 2003, and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement Award by the board of the 2007 Venice Biennale, when he was included in the Robert Storr-curated exhibition 'Think with the Senses, Feel with the Mind: Art in the Present Tense'.
Known for both his formal studio work and candid shots of soirees and nightclubs, this show will chronicle the living master’s métier. Pictured: Jeune Fille avec, 1970/2004
The show combines an assortment of vintage and never-before-exhibited black and white prints, and speaks to the idea of freedom and identity in postcolonial Mali. Pictured: Surprise Party, 2002
'I have always wanted to present lesser known works by Malick Sidibé. Our exhibition will feature a selection of street scenes, many that have never before been exhibited,' says Jack Shainman. Pictured: 1st Mai–Saute, 1972/2004
'It is incredible to trace the same focused intensity that Malick is able to capture across all his varied subjects,' Shainman continues. Pictured left: Amoureux des Disques, c.1969/2002. Right: Les apprentis mécanitiens du garage de Dramané, 1966/2008
INFORMATION
’Malick Sidibé’ is on view from 17 March to 23 April. For more information, please visit Jack Shainman Gallery’s website
ADDRESS
Jack Shainman Gallery
513 West 20th Sreet
New York, NY 10011
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daniel Scheffler is a storyteller for The New York Times and others. He has a travel podcast with iHeart Media called Everywhere and a Substack newsletter, Withoutmaps, where he shares all his wild ways. He lives in New York with his husband and their pup.
-
Every new Rolex watch unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2025
Our editors are on the ground at the biggest trade show in the horological calendar, where key industry players take the stage. Here, we spotlight Rolex as it reveals its new wave of watches
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Rainer W. Schlegelmilch's Porsche photography showcases the aesthetics of speed
Taschen's new edition of Rainer W. Schlegelmilch’s collected imagery from a quarter of a century spent following Porsche racing highlights historical machines, emotive camera technique and major moments on the track
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
This striking new vineyard is putting Swedish wine on the map
Berglund Arkitekter completes a new home for Kullabergs Vingård in the country's verdant Skåne country
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Desert X 2025 review: a new American dream grows in the Coachella Valley
Will Jennings reports from the epic California art festival. Here are the highlights
By Will Jennings Last updated
-
This rainbow-coloured flower show was inspired by Luis Barragán's architecture
Modernism shows off its flowery side at the New York Botanical Garden's annual orchid show.
By Tianna Williams Published
-
‘Psychedelic art palace’ Meow Wolf is coming to New York
The ultimate immersive exhibition, which combines art and theatre in its surreal shows, is opening a seventh outpost in The Seaport neighbourhood
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Wim Wenders’ photographs of moody Americana capture the themes in the director’s iconic films
'Driving without a destination is my greatest passion,' says Wenders. whose new exhibition has opened in New York’s Howard Greenberg Gallery
By Osman Can Yerebakan Published
-
20 years on, ‘The Gates’ makes a digital return to Central Park
The 2005 installation ‘The Gates’ by Christo and Jeanne-Claude marks its 20th anniversary with a digital comeback, relived through the lens of your phone
By Tianna Williams Published
-
In ‘The Last Showgirl’, nostalgia is a drug like any other
Gia Coppola takes us to Las Vegas after the party has ended in new film starring Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl
By Billie Walker Published
-
‘American Photography’: centuries-spanning show reveals timely truths
At the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Europe’s first major survey of American photography reveals the contradictions and complexities that have long defined this world superpower
By Daisy Woodward Published
-
Miami’s new Museum of Sex is a beacon of open discourse
The Miami outpost of the cult New York destination opened last year, and continues its legacy of presenting and celebrating human sexuality
By Anna Solomon Published