Street Trades in Ibou Diagne's Painting

Fish sellers, vegetable sellers, orange sellers, coffee sellers, a street vendor: small street trades return often in Ibou Diagne's titles. Six paintings from this group are currently at Ge'eza's gallery in Point E, all available, with the price given on request from each page.

A subject named by the trade rather than the place

In the series of paintings looked at here, Ibou Diagne does not name a market or a neighbourhood, but an activity: "Vendeuses de poissons" (fish sellers), an oil painting on canvas at 180 x 120 cm made in 2025; "Les vendeuses de légumes" (vegetable sellers), an acrylic on canvas at 70 x 90 cm from 2025; "Vendeurs d'oranges" (orange sellers), an acrylic on canvas at 90 x 70 cm from 2025; "Vendeurs de café" (coffee sellers), an acrylic on canvas at 70 x 90 cm from 2025; "Marchand ambulant" (street vendor), an acrylic on canvas at 100 x 81 cm from 2025; and "La table de Mère Awa" (Mother Awa's table), an acrylic on canvas at 90 x 70 cm from 2025, which this time gives a proper name to a seller. Six titles, six trades or figures of street commerce, all made the same year.

This way of naming paintings after the trade rather than the place sets this series apart from other titles by the artist, named directly after a market or a neighbourhood.

Pages for two paintings in the series

Two pages can be reached directly from here. "Vendeuses de poissons", an oil on canvas at 180 x 120 cm, 2025, is the largest format in the group: an oil painting, while the other five titles in this series are acrylic. "Marchand ambulant", an acrylic on canvas at 100 x 81 cm, 2025, carries a title distinct from the other paintings in the series. Each page states the technique, the size, the year and the status of the work, with a photograph of the painting.

Six titles, one series

Taken together, these six titles form a recognisable group within Ibou Diagne's wider output: each names a trade or a seller rather than a place, all dated 2025, and all currently listed as available at the gallery.

Why the street as a subject to paint

Street commerce, in Senegal as in many West African cities, holds an important place in everyday economic life and in the urban landscape. It happens at a covered market, at an improvised stall, or on the move from one point to another, as the title "Marchand ambulant" suggests. Painting these trades means choosing a subject close to daily life, far from monumental figures or historical scenes, and paying attention to repeated gestures of work.

Oil and acrylic: a choice that varies from one painting to the next

Of the six paintings named here, only one, "Vendeuses de poissons," is made in oil. The other five are acrylic. The choice of one technique over another often depends on what the artist wants in terms of speed of execution and surface finish: acrylic dries fast, which suits a more direct gesture, while oil leaves more time to return to a part of the canvas. The sizes stay fairly close across the series, between 70 x 90 cm and 100 x 81 cm, aside from the larger format of "Vendeuses de poissons."

Hanging a scene of this kind

The medium sizes in this series, around 70 x 90 cm or 90 x 70 cm, suit a hallway, an office, or a modest living room wall. The larger format of "Vendeuses de poissons," at 180 x 120 cm, needs more space and a clear wall so the painting is not visually crowded by its surroundings.

A subject distinct from the market titles

These street trades stand apart from other Ibou Diagne titles named directly after a market, such as "Marché de Louga" or "Marché hebdomadaire." Here, each title names a trade or a figure of commerce rather than a place.

Ibou Diagne at the gallery

These six paintings sit within a wider body of work shown on Ibou Diagne's artist page, which brings together several dozen works, across market scenes, collective scenes and this more specific subject of street trades. Ibou Diagne has been shown at Ge'eza's gallery since the "Lien commun" exhibition in October 2025.

Asking for a price and coming to see the paintings

The price of each of these works is given on request from its page, or directly on WhatsApp at +221 78 660 07 07, or by email to geezacultures@gmail.com, naming the exact title. The team replies with the price, the technical details and the certificate of authenticity that travels with every work sold. The gallery can be visited without an appointment, Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm, during the same hours as the restaurant, at 656 avenue Birago Diop, Point E.