Binta Diaw: Hair Installations and the Politics of Material

Binta Diaw, born in Milan in 1995 to Italian-Senegalese parents, creates installations using organic materials like soil and synthetic hair extensions. Her work addresses migration, gender, and feminism while rooted in art history. Diaw's pieces, such as those at the 12th Liverpool Biennial (2023) and Magasin CNAC in Grenoble, explore tensions between horizontal and vertical, natural and artificial. She is a finalist for the MAXXI Bulgari Prize 2024 and represented by a major Italian gallery. Diaw studied at Brera Academy in Milan and ÉSAD in Grenoble, and her practice is influenced by Arte Povera, eco-minimalism, and Mono-ha. She notes the lack of institutional support for young artists in Italy but values her international experience. Upcoming projects include exhibitions in Paris, Italy, the US, and possibly Dakar.