Niamey Sand

Africa is known for its bold, unapologetic use of colour. Stories are told in pigments, tones and hues; a kaleidoscope as diverse as the cultures and peoples of the continent. For the initiative Colours of Africa, a collaborative project with Google Arts & Culture, we asked 60 African creatives to capture the unique spirit of their country in a colour which represents home to them.

The projects they have created are personal and distinct stories of Africa, put into images, videos, texts and illustrations. Each artist has also attempted to articulate what being African means to their identity and view of the world.

Colour: Niamey Earth
Country: NIger

Artwork Rationale:

A colour that best represents life in Niger is that of sand in all its different shades. Niger is a desert country so the colour of the sand – from light beige and all the way to redish yellows – has been the most prevalent in all aspects of my life.
It is everywhere. In the desert areas where I grew up as well as in urban cities like Niamey, where my architecture practice is located. The colour of Niger’s sand has been part of every aspect of my lived experience, from my childhood to my practice of architecture, the sand finds its way into everything. It is not unusual to find even concrete taking on a slight sand colour.
I chose these two images of a painting that hangs in my office because of the artist’s use of the different shades of this sand colour I refer to. Take a closer look at the painting and you also notice the painting itself is made with sand as the main medium. The painting is very dear to me, despite the fact that it was in a very bad state when I acquired it. I found it in my current office building and although it had substantial rain damage, I bought it from the owner of the building and had it restored. It has held pride of place in my office ever since.
Over the years I have tried to find the name of the artist, but could not. All I know is that the painting probably dates from somewhere in the 60s or 70s. The painting has come to symbolize my approach to architecture. It is not about working with big names on big projects, but really about capturing the essence of a project, no matter how big or small it is. We want it to have a meaning for the people we build it for.
The global pandemic has really been a lesson in holding the people and things that we love even closer. When Design Indaba asked me to hunt for a colour that represents Niger, I was lucky enough as I did not have to go very far, it was right there in front of me. A colour that best represents life in Niger is that of sand in all its different shades. Niger is a desert country so the colour of the sand – from light beige and all the way to redish yellows – has been the most prevalent in all aspects of my life.

It is everywhere. In the desert areas where I grew up as well as in urban cities like Niamey, where my architecture practice is located. The colour of Niger’s sand has been part of every aspect of my lived experience, from my childhood to my practice of architecture, the sand finds its way into everything. It is not unusual to find even concrete taking on a slight sand colour.

I chose these two images of a painting that hangs in my office because of the artist’s use of the different shades of this sand colour I refer to. Take a closer look at the painting and you also notice the painting itself is made with sand as the main medium. The painting is very dear to me, despite the fact that it was in a very bad state when I acquired it. I found it in my current office building and although it had substantial rain damage, I bought it from the owner of the building and had it restored. It has held pride of place in my office ever since.

Over the years I have tried to find the name of the artist, but could not. All I know is that the painting probably dates from somewhere in the 60s or 70s. The painting has come to symbolize my approach to architecture. It is not about working with big names on big projects, but really about capturing the essence of a project, no matter how big or small it is. We want it to have a meaning for the people we build it for.

The global pandemic has really been a lesson in holding the people and things that we love even closer. When Design Indaba asked me to hunt for a colour that represents Niger, I was lucky enough as I did not have to go very far, it was right there in front of me.

NOTE: If you recognize this work, made from the Niger’s sand, if you are the artist, or know them – then please contact us and we will let Mariam Kamara know that her search for its creator has reached an end. We would love to credit the piece correctly and celebrate the mind that made it.

What does it mean to be African?:

What it means to be African is as complex as what it means to be European, American or Asian. It’s a lived experience that defies explanation.

Biography:

Mariam Issoufou Kamara is an architect from Niger who studied architecture at the University of Washington. In 2014, she founded atelier masōmī, an architecture and research practice with offices in Niger’s capital, Niamey. The firm tackles public, cultural, residential, commercial and urban design projects. Kamara believes that architects have an important role to play in creating spaces that have the power to elevate, dignify, and provide people with a better quality of life.

The Hikma Community Complex, designed by Kamara and Yasaman Esmaili, won the 2017 Gold LafargeHolcim Award for Africa and Middle East, and the 2018 Silver Global LafargeHolcim Award for Sustainable Architecture. Other projects include the Dandaji Regional Market, which was shortlisted for the Dezeen Awards in 2019. Upcoming projects include the Yantala office building in Niamey as well as the Niamey Cultural Centre, which Kamara designed under the mentorship of Sir David Adjaye as part of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Initiative.
In 2019, Kamara was named as a Laureate of the Prince Claus Award. She was a 2019 Royal Academy of Arts Dorfman Awards finalist. The New York Times named her as one of 15 Creative Women of Our Time. The firm has appeared on the AD100 list for the past two years.