From the 14th to 17th centuries, Mali prospered as the center of learning and culture in West Africa. There is a rich plastic arts tradition, the powerful vitality and strikingly deformed shapes of Malian sculpture having impacted hugely on contemporary European art. This plastic arts tradition is passed on in the home, the studio, and at art school, while collectives of craftspeople from the various ethnic groups work professionally to make such items as textiles, sculptures and unglazed earthenware. The traditional plastic arts, in which a division of labor between men and women is widely evident in the production process, have been heavily influenced by the changing times. New plastic art forms are now emerging as a result of contact with foreign cultures through imported goods and television.

The humorous style exhibited in the paintings and murals that advertise local hairdressers, rotisseries and bars lends them a most distinctive air. Accessories and cloth dyed in a variety of colors abound, while there are many flamboyant styles in women's clothing, made from brightly colored cloth in primary colors and looking very stylish. At the Maison des Artisans arts and crafts shopping district in the capital Bamako are sold indigo and mud dyed cloth, wood carvings, gold and silver work, and ethnic musical instruments, all of which have been handmade my craftspeople who have received specialized arts training at the National Institute of Art.