A reverse glass painting workshop in Saint-Louis is a day spent learning souwere, the Senegalese folk art in which you paint backwards on a sheet of glass. A trainer guides you step by step, the glass and materials are provided, and you leave with your picture.

Reverse glass painting, a Senegalese folk art

Reverse glass painting, or souwere, is a folk art that emerged in the 19th century: you paint backwards on a sheet of glass, to reveal scenes of everyday life, portraits and brightly coloured motifs. The principle can be disorienting: you start with the details and finish with the background, since you view the painting through the glass. The workshop is an introduction, open to beginners, children and adults alike.

The programme comes down to one thing: making your own picture, guided step by step by the trainer, in a format of 25 x 16 or 30 x 15 cm. The workshop runs over a full day. Painting materials, the glass to paint on and the trainer’s guidance are included. The price is per person and depends on the size of glass chosen: two formats are offered.

A full-day workshop leaves time to settle in, sketch your design, lay on the colours, and then let it dry.

If you live in the region, it is a day of making that helps you understand a living tradition. If you are visiting, it is a chance to leave with a one-of-a-kind work rather than a shop object.

Saint-Louis, between river and ocean

Saint-Louis is a former colonial capital at the mouth of the Senegal River, facing the Atlantic Ocean, and its historic island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is made up of three parts: the island of Ndar in the middle of the river, the Langue de Barbarie on the ocean side and Sor on the mainland bank. The northern region is best read along the Senegal River: it is the Senegal of water and light, which offers a natural setting for the workshop.

Things to do around Saint-Louis

To extend the day, the Langue de Barbarie National Park, the Guembeul reserve and the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary are the region’s nature outings, and the Lompoul desert brings a landscape of dunes. On the creative side, other painting and art and craft and skills workshops go in the same direction.