Painted Frames

Photographer
Malick Sidibe
Publisher

Loose Joints
ISBN

9781912719662 — Open search and refresh status Amazon.ca — Open search and refresh status Amazon.com — Open search and refresh status AbeBooks — Open search and refresh status eBay — Open search and refresh status
Publication Year

2025
Edition

First edition (Loose Joints)

Section-sewn oversized silkscreened softcover with exposed spine Hardcover English 160 pages 24.5 x 32 cm 0.8 kg

Description

Painted Frames is a posthumous monograph by the legendary Malian photographer Malick Sidibé, published by Loose Joints. This volume highlights a unique late-career series where Sidibé collaborated with local artisans to set his iconic black-and-white portraits within vibrant, hand-painted glass borders. Moving beyond the “fetishized art object,” the book presents these works as living social artifacts—keepsakes and status symbols that were meant to be gifted and circulated within Bamako’s community. Featuring 88 colour plates and an essay by Amy Sall, the monograph serves as a jubilant final burst of affirmation from the “Eye of Bamako,” reframing his historical archive into a contemporary celebration of West African cultural identity and social exchange.