Senegal & painting: state art and the art of glass
Two stories explain why painting matters so much in Senegal, and they could hardly be more different. The first takes place in the corridors of power. In the wake of independence, Léopold Sédar Senghor, the poet who became president, made art a pillar of his policy: négritude had to be seen on the walls as much as read in books. The state opened a school of arts in Dakar and called on painters trained in Europe. Out of this ferment came what would be called the Dakar School (École de Dakar): canvases that drew on African forms, colours and myths to invent a modern painting.
Two names sum it up. Papa Ibra Tall (1935–2015), painter of elongated figures and grand narratives, took charge of the tapestry workshop that Senghor inaugurated in Thiès on 4 December 1966, which became the Manufactures sénégalaises des arts décoratifs: weavers there turn painters’ cartoons into wool tapestries, and the institution celebrates its 60th anniversary in December 2026. Iba Ndiaye (1928–2008), who came back from Paris at Senghor’s invitation to set up the school’s visual arts section, was more reserved about an “Africanness” made to order: a painter exacting about draughtsmanship, he kept returning to jazz and to the sheep of Tabaski, and left again for Paris in 1967. In that same year, 1966, Dakar hosted the first World Festival of Black Arts, which put the city on the continent’s artistic map.
The second story takes place in the street. The sous-verre (reverse glass painting), suwer in Wolof, arrived around the turn of the 20th century from the Maghreb and the Middle East, in the baggage of Muslim merchants and scholars. Senegalese painters took it up to depict the great religious and resistance figures, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, El Hadji Malick Sy, Lat Dior, then scenes of everyday life: the domestic row, the market, the car rapide (minibus), often with biting humour. The technique is a brain-teaser: you paint backwards, on the back of the glass, starting with the signature, the outlines and the details, and finishing with the background. Masters such as Gora Mbengue and Mor Gueye turned this market art into collectors’ pieces.
Today these two lineages meet under the same roof: Dak’Art, the Dakar Biennale of contemporary African art, whose 16th edition runs from 19 November to 19 December 2026, on the theme “(Anti)fragilité” ((Anti)fragility).
Formats: from a taster session to a day of glass painting
Four ways to pick up a brush, each described on its listing with its duration, the materials provided and what you take home.
- The studio class in Dakar: choose one hour for a first try, three hours to finish a small canvas, or a full day to work on a technique with an artist.
- The home visual arts class: the artist comes to your home in Dakar, with their materials, for one to two hours. A good option for children, for siblings or for a regular slot.
- The painting class in Saly: one to two hours of painting on the Petite Côte, to slip in between two afternoons on the beach.
- The reverse glass painting training in Saint-Louis: a whole day to learn to think backwards, from the ink outline to the background, and leave with your own suwer.
Where to paint in Senegal
- Dakar: the heart of the scene, with two classes in the catalogue. Between sessions, carry on to the Village des Arts (Arts Village), on the airport road, near the Léopold Sédar Senghor Stadium: dozens of studios of painters, sculptors and ceramicists, and a gallery open to the public. For museums, the Théodore Monod Museum of African Art and the Museum of Black Civilisations round off the visit, and the stalls of the Médina are full of glass paintings.
- Saint-Louis: the day of reverse glass painting training takes place in the former capital.
- The Petite Côte: a class in Saly, ideal if you are on a beach holiday.
- Thiès: no class in the catalogue, but the Manufactures show how a painting becomes a tapestry.
When to paint
Painting can be done all year round, in the shade or indoors. The dry season, November–May, makes getting around more pleasant, especially if you combine a class in Dakar with a day in Saint-Louis. During the rainy season (hivernage), July to October, the humid heat weighs heavily outdoors, but a studio remains a refuge: just go for the morning.
Autumn 2026 is out of the ordinary. The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), 31 October–13 November, followed by Dak’Art (19 November–19 December), turn Dakar into a city in festive mood for nearly two months. During the Biennale, the official exhibition is accompanied by an “Off” programme that opens studios and galleries all over the city: it is the best time to take a class and then see what artists from across the continent are doing. Book early.
Good to know & budget
No level is required: the artists adapt the session to complete beginners and Sunday painters alike. Materials are provided, unless the listing says otherwise. Wear clothes you do not mind getting paint on. For reverse glass painting, a whole day is not too much: the exercise takes patience, and the first attempt is rarely the best.
On Que Faire Sénégal, the price shown for each activity is the price of the service. It depends on the duration, the format and the number of participants; the listing states whether it is per person or per session, which matters for a family home class. You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee). The balance is paid on site, on the day of the class. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate is shown on each listing). For a class, there are no additional official fees. If you carry on to a museum, its entry is payable on site and not included in the price.
Who is it for?
For children first of all, who find in a home or studio class a calm activity, out of the sun, with a real result to show. For complete beginners, who want to give it a try with no pressure. For amateur painters, who come looking for a different light, different colours and a local artist’s eye on their work.
Residents gain a regular hobby close to home: a weekly class in Dakar, a home session for the children during the school holidays, or a day in Saint-Louis to treat themselves to a genuine Senegalese skill. Visitors gain an encounter rather than a shop: schedule the class early in your stay, and you will never look at the glass paintings in the market the same way again.
Dakar’s artists’ studios have a story all of their own. In 1977, a handful of painters moved into a disused military camp in the city centre and created the first Village des Arts there. In 1983, the army evicted them. It took years of lobbying to obtain a new site: the former camp of the Chinese workers who had built the stadium, on the airport road. The Village des Arts opened there at the end of the 1990s, and its studios still house painters today.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be able to draw to take a painting class?
No. All the classes in this category accept complete beginners, children and adults alike. The artist adapts the session to your level and provides the materials.
What is Senegalese reverse glass painting?
The sous-verre, or suwer in Wolof, is a painting done backwards on the back of a pane of glass: you start with the signature and the details, and finish with the background. It arrived around the turn of the 20th century and depicts the country’s great religious figures and scenes of everyday life full of humour.
What is the Dakar School?
It’s the painting movement born after independence under the impetus of Léopold Sédar Senghor, around the Dakar school of arts. Papa Ibra Tall and Iba Ndiaye are two of its leading figures; the former ran the tapestry workshop in Thiès.
Where can I see artists’ studios in Dakar?
At the Village des Arts, on the airport road, near the Léopold Sédar Senghor Stadium. Painters, sculptors and ceramicists work there, and a gallery puts on exhibitions.
When is the Dakar Biennale in 2026?
The 16th Dak’Art runs from 19 November to 19 December 2026, on the theme “(Anti)fragilité” ((Anti)fragility), with an official exhibition and an “Off” programme all over the city.
How do I book a class, and how much should I budget?
The price is shown on each activity. You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day of the class. You get the resident rate: up to 30% off, and there are no additional official fees for a class.
