Ibou Diouf (1953- ) is a distinguished Senegalese artist who received the highest honorary award in his country in 1999 – Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Lion. He is also a deeply philosophical artist who in his quest to understand the cosmos asks himself – “Who am I?” or “Who knows?.” In Baatine I and II, really a diptych, Diouf explores the vertical line as it is intercepted horizontally, the juxtaposition of shapes and how one small dot can emphatically punctuate the whole painting. Diouf’s esoteric paintings concentrate on the essential while giving us glimpses of every day objects that we rarely notice. The blue, black, white and gray of these compositions are in sharp contrast to the luminous yellows, creating delicate relationships. He graduated from the National Beaux Arts Institute of Senegal, and has exhibited internationally.