SENUFO KÜNSTLER

Dô Koné lived and worked in the Kule carver’s quarter in Kolia located at the edge of the town. He worked with members of his extended family who were also carvers, especially Ynadjo Koné and his brother Kparagnéné Koné. During the 1970s the Koné family compound of carvers in Kolia produced works primarily for the tourist markets in Korhogo and Abidjan. However, during this time they continued to carve for traditional purposes producing farmer’s staffs, birds, figures and masks. The two senior carvers, Dô Koné and Ynadjo Koné learned to sculpt from their father who himself was a Kule carver. He came originally from a village in the vicinity of Mbengué. Before they returned to their family in Kolia, Dô Koné and Ynadjo Koné worked in a number of other villages. Ynadjo Koné worked for a long period in the village of Ganaoni close by Nafoun and Dô Koné for others in Ponondougou and later in the south in Kombolokoura and Languédougou.

Although the three carvers used to work in different locations, their carving style was very similar when working together in Kolia in the 1970s. Especially prominent are the body markings and depiction of jewelry on the figures.

Over an extended period the Kule carvers of Kolia sculpted numerous figures, masks and spoons to document their individual styles for Karl-Heinz Krieg.

OBJECTS BY Dô koné

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Private notes taken in the field, Karl-Heinz Krieg

Text: Helen Krieg and Daniel Mato, PhD