Once a vibrant artistic expression, relief printing involved carving designs onto wooden or linoleum blocks, inking them, and pressing them onto paper to produce striking visual prints. Today, its legacy survives only faintly in batik fabric printing, while artistic paper printing has become increasingly rare.
Artists cite the prohibitive cost of essential materials including wooden carving blocks, lino cutting mats and specialised relief inks as a major factor behind the art form’s decline. Without structured training or financial backing, many practitioners abandoned the craft over the years.
Through the support of ART27 Visual Arts Promotion, a dynamic artist collective focused on teaching, mentoring and empowering creatives, Anna is breathing new life into the fading tradition. The group aims to equip young artists with technical skills while helping them build sustainable careers.
Driven by determination, Anna sought professional training with experts in the United Kingdom to refine her carving and printing techniques. Today, she leads the carving section within ART27 and is preparing to showcase her lino cut works at a major exhibition slated for the end of 2026.
“Our search for the last group of lino cutters in Kafountine, Senegal, led to a dead end. The group had disbanded, and the equipment was left to gather dust in a small hut,” she revealed, underscoring how close the region came to losing the craft entirely.
Working closely with Ferenc Donderer, founder of ART27, Anna says the mission goes beyond personal success; it is about cultural preservation and economic empowerment.
Donderer, an arts promoter and advocate for creative industry development, is planning what many describe as a transformative move for The Gambia’s art scene: the establishment of a permanent Art Gallery by 2026. The gallery will provide Gambian and African artists with a dedicated platform to exhibit their works, engage collectors and connect with international audiences.
The initiative is expected to significantly strengthen the country’s growing creative sector, offering artists both exposure and income-generating opportunities.
With Anna Isatou-Bah at the forefront of the carving revival and institutional backing steadily expanding, lino and wood carving once considered a lost art may soon reclaim its rightful place in The Gambia’s artistic heritage.
