Ousseynou Gassama (Hassan)

Date and place of birth unknown, Senegal/Spain

Hassan’s date of birth is unknown, therefore his current age can only be estimated to be between 30 and 40. Originally from Senegal, probably from a small village, he lived alone in abject poverty on the streets of Barcelona.

Since his health deteriorated, he is likely to be at present under the care of social services. In the meantime, he has disappeared from the streets of Barcelona. Hassan draws on small slabs of wood that he recycles from rubbish bins or wine boxes. He uses a saw and a utility knife to draw houses and pieces of furniture, which are his primary motifs. Instead of using a signature, he signs his work by punching small, polished pieces of copper or brass that he has treated into the wood. There is a short film about him with the title “Je suis libre comme un taxi” (I am free like a taxi).

His works can be found, among others, in the collection abcd/Bruno Decharme, France and the collection of Gerhard and Karin Dammann, Switzerland. As of 2021, Ousseynou Gassama has also been represented in the 921 works of the “Donation d'Art Brut de Bruno Decharme” at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Selected works