Praise the Lord

There is only one photograph of Sheikh Amadou Bamba, the founder of the Mouride sect of Islam. He is standing next to a wooden wall, he is wearing a white caftan. The sun is shining: he squints at the light. And although his face is partially hidden, his eyes are visible. Staring directly into the camera, this portrait is probably the most reproduced image in Senegal. Originally taken in 1917, it is replicated on every imaginable surface in the country.

This process of continuous reproduction has seen the portrait of Amadou Bamba transform from representation into icon; - from the prosaic to the sublime - is the central theme of Dani Pujalte's project. Initially tracing the passage of Bamba's image on the everyday surfaces of Senegal, his photographic investigation expands to document a broader theme: the continuous dialogue between trade and faith, material culture and Sufi mysticism.