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Hamed Ouattara: Contemporary African Design, Sculptural Furniture and Material Transformation
Hamed Ouattara is a Burkinabè multidisciplinary artist and designer, born in 1971 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Founder of Studio Hamed Ouattara, he is known for transforming discarded oil barrels, sheet metal, wood and industrial remnants into sculptural furniture and collectible design objects.
His practice belongs to a wider conversation within contemporary African art and contemporary African design, where material transformation becomes a way to address memory, sustainability, craftsmanship and cultural identity. Ouattara’s works combine functional clarity with sculptural presence, carrying the traces of their previous life while entering the space of contemporary design.
View available works by Hamed Ouattara ›
From Industrial Remnants to Collectible Design
Reuse and transformation are central to Hamed Ouattara’s artistic language. Discarded oil barrels, cans, wood and scrap metals are cut, hammered, welded and assembled into stools, trays, bowls, consoles, cabinets and sculptural design objects.
Rather than hiding the origin of his materials, Ouattara preserves their textures, marks and irregularities. Scratches, dents, painted surfaces and traces of use become part of the object’s identity. Each work carries a material memory, turning industrial waste into a refined object of contemporary elegance.
Sudano-Sahelian Architecture and Sculptural Form
Ouattara’s formal language draws deeply from Sudano-Sahelian architecture. Protective geometries, frontal structures, suspended volumes and strong silhouettes appear throughout his furniture and design objects, giving them a presence that is both architectural and symbolic.
His works stand at the intersection of design, sculpture and African architectural memory. A stool, a tray or a bowl is never only functional. It becomes a constructed form, a cultural object and a contemporary statement shaped by both utility and imagination.
Studio Hamed Ouattara and Sustainable Craftsmanship
Studio Hamed Ouattara is not only a design studio. It is also a social and educational project based in Burkina Faso, where local artisans are trained in welding, metalwork and production techniques. Through this model, Ouattara connects design innovation with local knowledge, circular economy and long-term craftsmanship.
His practice responds to environmental and social questions without reducing the object to a message. Sustainability is embedded in the making itself: in the choice of materials, in the transformation of waste, and in the preservation of skilled manual work as a living contemporary practice.
Recognition in Contemporary African Design
Over the past two decades, Hamed Ouattara has developed an international career across design, art fairs, exhibitions and residencies. His work has been presented at Design Miami/Basel, PAD Paris, Maison & Objet, AKAA Art Fair, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair New York, the Dakar Biennale, GUILD International Design Fair, Africa Design Days and other major international platforms.
His works are held in significant private and institutional collections, including the Denver Art Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Vitra Design Museum, Centre Pompidou, Société CMC SAS Agnès b, Rossana Orlandi, and the collection of Matthias and Gervanne Leridon.
Selected Exhibitions, Art Fairs and Collections
Hamed Ouattara’s recent exhibitions include Metal. Art & Design at OOA Gallery; a painting exhibition at Galerie KAALA; Spiritual Design at Galerie SOVIEW in Accra; Intersect Chicago with Out of Africa Gallery; Inspirations Africaines at Galerie H in Casablanca; El Arte Africano, Una Explosión de Colores at OOA Gallery; and An Age of Our Own Making in Holbaek, Denmark.
His art fair and design presentations include 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair New York with Carole Kvasnevski Gallery, the Dakar Biennale, Design Miami/Basel, PAD Paris, AKAA Art Fair, Maison & Objet, GUILD International Design Fair, Africa Design Days, Artcurial’s Exceptions d’Afrique, Sitges Recicl’Art with Out of Africa Gallery, Global Business Forum Africa in Dubai, and Design Miami/Basel with Southern Guild.
Ouattara has received distinctions including Knight of the Order of Merit for Arts and Communication in Burkina Faso, the Africa Design Award in Libreville, and First Prize in the Artiste-Créateur Competition at SIAO in Ouagadougou.
Available Works
Explore a selection of available works by Hamed Ouattara at OOA Gallery, including sculptural stools, serving trays, bowls and collectible design objects crafted from recycled oil barrels, sheet metal and industrial materials.
