Aziz Diagne
Master Artist & Cultural Ambassador
Aziz Diagne is a multidisciplinary artist with over four decades of dedicated practice. For him, art is not a choice but a fundamental way of understanding and engaging with the world. Born in Thiès, Senegal, he has devoted his career to preserving and evolving his country's artistic heritage while expanding it through contemporary approaches.
Working across intaglio printmaking, reverse painting on glass, mixed-media collage, and painting, Diagne combines traditional craftsmanship with technical innovation. His development of the Thiessoise Technique reflects his ability to reinterpret historical methods into a modern visual language.
His work explores memory, material, and transformation, often reusing elements from past creations to build layered, meaningful compositions. Alongside his studio practice, he is committed to teaching and mentorship, continuing to pass on knowledge while shaping contemporary artistic expression.
Mixed-Media Collage & Intaglio Printmaking
Traditional techniques reimagined through contemporary innovation
Mixed-Media Collage
Collage is a mixed-media technique that combines paper, printed elements, pigments, and repurposed materials into a single visual composition. In Aziz Diagne's work, collage is a structured process of construction rather than simple layering. Each fragment originates from previous artworks, studio experiments, or teaching materials, giving the surface a history of making and transformation.
By assembling these elements, Diagne creates compositions that merge drawing, printmaking, and painting. The layered structure produces depth, rhythm, and movement while revealing the physical presence of each material. This method reflects a strong connection to traditional craftsmanship and disciplined studio practice.
Through collage, Aziz Diagne explores memory, material reuse, and visual storytelling. The technique transforms discarded or completed works into new artistic forms, reinforcing continuity between past and present creation.
Intaglio Printmaking
Intaglio printmaking is a traditional technique in which lines and textures are engraved or etched below the surface of a metal plate. Ink is worked into these recessed areas, the plate surface is wiped clean, and damp paper is pressed onto the plate using a high-pressure printing press. This process transfers the ink while creating the characteristic depth and embossment associated with classical intaglio prints.
Aziz Diagne advances this historic medium through a multi-color single-run intaglio process, enabling multiple colors to be printed simultaneously from a single plate. Unlike conventional color intaglio, which typically requires several plates or repeated press runs, this approach produces complex chromatic compositions in one printing stage while preserving the precision of engraved lines.
Rooted in disciplined craftsmanship and long-term studio research, Diagne's intaglio practice bridges historical printmaking traditions with technical innovation. His work emphasizes structural clarity, material depth, and controlled color relationships, positioning intaglio as both a classical method and a contemporary field of experimentation.
Reverse Painting on Glass Acrylic
The Thiessoise Technique - A contemporary interpretation of historic glass painting
Reverse painting on glass is a historic artistic method in which the image is painted on the back of a glass surface and viewed from the front. Because the composition is seen through the glass, the artist must work in reverse order — details are painted first, and background elements are applied last.
Aziz Diagne has developed a contemporary interpretation of this medium known as the Thiessoise Technique, named after his hometown of Thiès, Senegal. Through layered pigments, precise line work, and carefully structured color fields, Diagne expands this traditional craft into a contemporary visual language.
His approach emphasizes light, transparency, and reflection. The glass surface becomes an active component of the artwork, producing luminous depth and optical clarity. By combining disciplined draftsmanship with complex layering processes, Diagne repositions reverse glass painting as both a continuation of historical knowledge and a platform for large-scale contemporary practice.
Working across exhibitions, public commissions, and studio research, Aziz Diagne's reverse glass paintings demonstrate how traditional techniques can evolve into innovative forms of artistic expression while maintaining their cultural and material roots.
Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
Hybrid painting techniques bridging tradition and innovation
Oil and acrylic painting on canvas combines two of the most widely used media in contemporary visual art. Acrylic paint allows rapid layering and structural composition due to its fast drying time, while oil paint provides depth, luminosity, and extended blending possibilities.
In Aziz Diagne's practice, these materials are used together to construct layered surfaces where drawing, color, and texture interact within a unified composition. The canvas support offers flexibility, durability, and scale, emphasizing the physical presence of brushwork and pigment.
This hybrid method reflects a dialogue between traditional painting knowledge and contemporary material experimentation. By balancing the immediacy of acrylic with the richness of oil, Diagne develops compositions that explore visual rhythm, spatial depth, and structural clarity.
Working across painting, printmaking, collage, and reverse glass techniques, Aziz Diagne positions his canvas works within a broader multidisciplinary artistic practice that connects historical craftsmanship with contemporary artistic research.
Aziz Studio Art Classes
Professional Training in Traditional and Contemporary Techniques
Aziz Studio Art Classes provide hands-on instruction in drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, and reverse painting on glass. Led by master artist Aziz Diagne, the program focuses on technical discipline, material knowledge, and the development of individual artistic language.
Students work directly with professional tools and processes, including intaglio printmaking, mixed-media construction, and the Thiessoise reverse glass technique. The teaching approach emphasizes craftsmanship, repetition, and structured experimentation, allowing participants to understand both historical methods and contemporary applications.
Classes are designed for youth, emerging artists, and adults seeking serious studio training. Through guided practice and mentorship, Aziz Studio creates an environment where traditional skills are preserved while encouraging creative independence and professional growth.
The program reflects Aziz Diagne's long-term commitment to arts education, community engagement, and the transmission of studio knowledge across generations.
Artistic Philosophy
Art is not a choice; it is my nature
"Art is not a choice for me; it is my nature. For more than forty years, it has been the language through which I think, work, and understand the world. Through intaglio printmaking, reverse painting on glass, collage, and painting, I explore memory, culture, and human experience. Each work is built through discipline, craft, and respect for traditional techniques. Art is not simply my profession. It is the way I live, the way I communicate, and the way I exist."
Art is not a choice for me; it is my nature. For more than forty years, creating has been the only language I trust. I think through art, I solve problems through art, and I communicate through art. It is the discipline that shaped my life.
My work moves across several mediums—intaglio printmaking, reverse painting on glass, collage, and painting. Each technique demands patience, craft, and respect for tradition. I approach art the way a master craftsman approaches his tools: through practice, repetition, and experimentation.
Art allows me to transform memory, culture, and experience into a visual form that others can encounter and interpret. Every piece is both personal and collective.
After decades of work, art remains the field where I feel honest. It is not only what I do—it is the way I exist in the world. 🎨
The Creative Space
Where tradition meets innovation