Bamazi Talle » Ohio Artist Registry

Talle Bamazi

Father of Flying Calabashes

Born in Kara, Togo, West Africa, Talle Bamazi can best be described as an artist who uses canvas as a site for activism. He began his artistic career as an apprentice to his uncle, a traditional Togolese artist. Although he went on to study architecture in Lomé, he favorably transitioned to painting. Through his art, Bamazi is intently compelled to share the story of his homeland while dispelling the notion that Africa is largely a violent and impoverished country. He purposefully pays homage to his ancestors and the culturally significant ties between traditional and contemporary ideas.

Arriving in New York in 1995, with absolutely no understanding of the English language, Bamazi embarked upon what was the most challenging adventure of his life. His quest for knowledge led him to the New York Student Art League where he immersed himself in American culture. This was the beginning of Bamazi’s contributions to contemporary African art in America. He continued his education at the New York Academy of Art and graduated with a Master’s degree.

Upon completing his degrees, and amongst the bustling art activity of New York City, Bamazi began exhibiting in a multitude of area galleries and institutions. It was at this time that he realized his greater desire was to raise the visibility of other African and African-American artists with the broader public. This aspiration would come to fruition with the establishment of the KIACA (Kabiye Impact Contemporary African Art) Gallery in 2003, located in Columbus, Ohio.  With KIACA, he was able to educate patrons on the enduring cultural gifts of his beloved Africa, while also serving as an influential talent incubator for young artists of color.

Even today, Bamazi’s life and art have been fueled by his passion for the African culture. The calabash, a large, woody gourd, is an important and recurring symbol in Bamazi’s work. The calabash is an African symbol of sustenance, hospitality, and fertility and is highly revered culturally for its nourishment and reliability. Beyond the edible fruit, the dried and hallowed calabash abounds with pragmatic purposes-for serving or storing food, acting as a vessel, or crafting ritual regalia. Bamazi depicts the calabash ethereally floating in the pictorial space. It is profound in both its simplicity and significance. In this way, the calabash becomes a symbol of mythological and proverbial interpretation.

Father of Flying Calabahes, he’s called, Talle Bamazi Hase his studio at 700 Bryden Road in the artist  Community in Columbus, Ohio, where he created the most powerful and mysterious works of art, formerly featured at Museums, art institutions, art galleries, and Art shows, round the world, now hangs in the historic Pythian theater. As an artist who creates and celebrates contemporary African art, his mission is to help create a new understanding of contemporary African art to Compete in the art world