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Yelimane Fall's work centers both the Arabic script and the rich intellectual tradition of West Africa. In this piece, Fall uses the abstraction of the Arabic text to bring to life the poetry of Shaykh Amadu Bamba (d.1927), founder of the Muridiyya Sufi tariqqa. Fall also portrayed Shaykh Bamba here, based on the only known photograph of him. As a member of the Muridiyya, Fall saw his artistic practice as khidma, service, a key tenant of his Sufi order’s beliefs.
The Arabic script reads: Oh my lord grants Mohamed (Peace be upon him) all his needs to him and his companions.
Fall often created his own borders for his work, made of thicker paper (here a grey cardboard-type of paper), to help protect his works when he put them on view at universities, art galleries or elsewhere. Some of his works even have small pin pricks where they were directly applied with push-pins to walls.
Thumbnail-size images of copyrighted artworks are displayed under fair use, in accordance with guidelines recommended by the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts, published by the College Art Association in February 2015.
Blessings to the Prophet and the Sahaba
Yelimane Fall (Senegalese, 1953 – 2019)
Senegalese
Contemporary
2008
Medium/Technique
Paper, Acrylic
Dimensions
Height x width: 62.4 × 83.5 cm (24 9/16 × 32 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Lee M. Freidman Fund
Accession Number2023.364
ClassificationsCalligraphy
Yelimane Fall's work centers both the Arabic script and the rich intellectual tradition of West Africa. In this piece, Fall uses the abstraction of the Arabic text to bring to life the poetry of Shaykh Amadu Bamba (d.1927), founder of the Muridiyya Sufi tariqqa. Fall also portrayed Shaykh Bamba here, based on the only known photograph of him. As a member of the Muridiyya, Fall saw his artistic practice as khidma, service, a key tenant of his Sufi order’s beliefs.
The Arabic script reads: Oh my lord grants Mohamed (Peace be upon him) all his needs to him and his companions.
Fall often created his own borders for his work, made of thicker paper (here a grey cardboard-type of paper), to help protect his works when he put them on view at universities, art galleries or elsewhere. Some of his works even have small pin pricks where they were directly applied with push-pins to walls.
DescriptionDark blue letters in Arabic script. Cartouche with red script bearing the Prophet Muhammad's name nestled between the letters, along with a portrait of a man in a white turban. Border made with thick grey paper applied by artist.
Signed
MF (Messenger of the Faith: Yelimane Fall's signature)
Provenance2008, upon completion, ownership passed from the artist to the West African Calligraphy Institute, Senegal [see note]; 2023, sold by the West African Calligraphy Institute to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 21, 2023)
NOTE: This is a foundation established by the artist. He retained possession of the work, which has been in Boston since his 2011 residency at Boston University.
NOTE: This is a foundation established by the artist. He retained possession of the work, which has been in Boston since his 2011 residency at Boston University.