Oualata Wall Painting

Paint bold ochre, white and black geometric panels around doors and windows of a stone-and-mud house, following a pattern brief with symmetry rules.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Mauritania. Some forms of this practice carry deep meaning for the communities who keep it; here we describe the play and the craft only, with respect for its roots.

Origins

A living tradition passed from person to person; it is not tied to a single dated origin. It belongs to the cultural world of Africa: Sahel, West and Central.