Red: The Spirit of a Civilisation, a Culture and a Nation
Artist Salma Khalil's work with the Kotoko people and the discovery of ancient red pigments
Preacher (2020) by Salma KhalilDesign Indaba
How the Oldest Chadian Civilisation Inspired An Artist
In her work Preacher , Chadian artist Salma Khalil was influenced by her research and workshops with the Kotoko people of Chad.
A community of artists
The women who are part of this community are potters and designers, and they decorate their homes with natural pigments that they create themselves.
A color that carries a culture
Salma fell in love with the beautiful and rich ochre of these natural pigments, and, in her work, pays homage to a color which she says ''carries the spirit of a civilisation, a culture and a nation.''
An investigation into the red
While she was with the women of Kotoro, Salma experimented with the natural pigments by mixing the juice of the kola nut with aged clay and gum arabic, sometimes including beetroot and changing the tones of the color with smoke from a fire.
Preacher (2020) by Salma KhalilDesign Indaba
The colors of a people
Speaking about the work Salma states ''I am connected to this color, just like I am to earth and its texture. It echoes the color of the Saharan Chadian landscape.''
