The storied city of Jenne, a center of Islamic learning, study, and scholarship since the twelfth century, is the hometown of Bamako-based photographer Hamdia Traoré (b. 1992, Mali). The thirty portraits in Traore’s series Des Marabouts de Djenné (Marabouts of Jenne) reflect his intimate connections to the city’s people and deep history. Learned and devout, marabouts teach in Jenne’s over 50 Qur’anic schools, offer spiritual guidance, and treat ailments through their knowledge of the Qur’an.
Made during a time of political and social upheaval in Mali, these portraits reflect enduring cultural resilience. Each image depicts a marabout seated with the tools of his practice—books, Qur’an boards, amulets, and prayer beads—framed by the architecture and atmosphere of Djenné. The consistent format underscores their collective identity, while individual poses and captions highlight personal roles and neighborhoods.
Traoré’s work will be shown alongside mid-20th-century black-and-white portraits of marabouts by Malian photographers Mamadou Cissé, Abdourahmane Sakaly, and Tijani Sitou. Drawn from the Archive of Malian Photography, these earlier images share visual parallels and deepen the historical context. Together, these images illuminate evolving perspectives on spiritual authority, identity, and visual representation in Mali.
This exhibition is developed in collaboration with the artist and professor Candace Keller, co-founder of the Archive of Malian Photography.
Further Reading:
- Candace M. Keller. Imaging Culture: Photography in Mali, West Africa. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2021.
- Mommersteeg, Geert. In the City of the Marabouts: Islamic Culture in West Africa. Translated by Diane Webb. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc., 2012.
About the Artist
