His real name is Saliou Thiam and he comes from the suburbs of Dakar. As a child, he spent most of his time with his mother, a dyer by trade who made batiks, loincloths and other brightly coloured clothes. From the age of 8-10, he began to prepare cloth and dye. School is not his forte, only colour interests him, to the great displeasure of his father who already imagines him as a driver-mechanic, like himself. Resourceful, he makes bags, shirts and other clothes that bring him his first francs. A few years later, he met Joe Ouakam, a famous Senegalese painter who advised him and encouraged him to persevere. He then discovered painting and its infinite field of exploration. But making a living from his painting, in Senegal as elsewhere, is difficult. He became a photographer in Dakar for several years, before his passion for painting won out. He starts his paintings without any precise idea and let himself be guided by his brush and inspired by the various objects he finds during his walks: pieces of wire or fishing nets, metal capsules... which he sometimes integrates into his paintings. Iconoclastic and unclassifiable, Zale is just waiting to challenge you!