From clay to the workshop
“As a child you play with clay, and as you grow, you create.”
Born in 1982 in Bolomakoté, a neighborhood of Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, Firmin Sanou discovered materials early. At 14 he left school to study under sculptor and founder Kader Derme. Ten years of apprenticeship shaped him to the demanding craft of bronze, from modeling to pouring.
From 2003 onward, with his years of experience behind him, he gradually developed his personal style. He draws inspiration from society, nature, dance, current events and everything around him.
In 2011, he founded his own workshop in Bobo Dioulasso. He leads a team of young apprentices there and welcomes Western artists for lost-wax initiation workshops.
According to the Kalbass'Art association, Firmin Sanou combines “artistic research, social environment and participation in his country's future.” A body of work that doesn't just freeze beauty, but questions, transmits, and connects.