Cheick Diallo

Mali

Person

Designer

Born 26 September 1960 Bamako, Mali Cheick Diallo studied economics and law at the University of Rouen in 1982/83 and architecture at the École d’Architecture de Rouen from 1983 to 1991. He then studied industrial design at the École nationale supérieure de création industrielle (ENSCI) in Paris. In 1993/94 he won awards for his Rivale chair and Ifen lamp at a competition organised by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. In 1996 he co-founded the Association des Designers Africains (ADA), of which he has been president from 2004. Between 1999 and 2003 he designed silverware series made of silver and ebony. From 2003 he created lounge chairs made of tubular steel and woven nylon cord, including Ségou (2003) and Dibi (2009). In 2006 he received an award at the Salon international de design intérieur de Montréal (SIDIM) for the Poto-Poto furniture series made from recycled drinks cans. Other designs include the Kpando and Nabeul terracotta vases (2007–10), the Adja chair (2009), and the Woo lounge chair with footstool and the Sansa lounge chair (2010). His work has been presented in exhibitions including 'Africa Remix' (2005), 'So Masiri' (2010), 'Made in Mali. Cheick Diallo, designer' (2012), 'Design en Afrique' (2012/13), and 'Making Africa' (2015).