Boubacar Kone was a Senegalese museum founder, curator and arts figure best known internationally as the husband of actress CCH Pounder. His work centered on African and African-diasporic art, and he helped establish the Musée Boribana in Dakar, Senegal, with Pounder.

Kone and Pounder also developed an extensive art collection and founded the Pounder-Kone Art Space in Los Angeles. He died in Los Angeles on August 3, 2016, aged 73.

Category	Details
Full Name	Boubacar Koné
Also Spelled	Boubacar Kone
Known For	Museum founder, curator and cultural figure; CCH Pounder’s late husband
Born	October 25, 1942
Birthplace	Senegal
Died	August 3, 2016
Place of Death	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Age at Death	73
Nationality	Senegalese
Education	Institute of International Journalism, Strasbourg, France
Wife	CCH Pounder
Major Achievement	Co-founded Musée Boribana in Dakar, Senegal
Musée Boribana	Contemporary art museum founded with CCH Pounder; gifted to Senegal in 2014
Los Angeles Art Project	Co-founded the Pounder-Koné Art Space
Earlier Work	Worked with the Agnes Etherington Arts Centre at Queen’s University and organized an African-Caribbean art festival in Montreal
Children	Public obituary lists Cheik, Aisha, Awa, Noah and Mariama
Grandchildren	Three, according to his published obituary
Net Worth	Not reliably verified

Early Life and Background

Boubacar Kone was born in Senegal on October 25, 1942. According to his published obituary, he studied at the Institute of International Journalism in Strasbourg, France, and was involved with research into African religious systems in Dakar.

His early interests developed around African culture and the arts. In 1966, Kone was part of a delegation connected with the first Festival Mondial des Arts Nègres in Dakar. He later moved to Canada, where he worked with the Agnes Etherington Arts Centre at Queen’s University and helped organize an African-Caribbean festival of art in Montreal.

Career in Art and Museums

Kone’s professional life was closely connected with African and contemporary art. He became a curator and museum founder, eventually working between Senegal and North America.

One of his most significant achievements was the creation of the Musée Boribana in Dakar. Kone and CCH Pounder founded and built the museum in the early 1990s. The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History describes it as the first privately owned contemporary museum in Senegal.

The museum became an important part of Kone and Pounder’s shared commitment to African and African-diasporic art. In 2014, they gifted the Musée Boribana to Senegal.

Kone also co-founded the Pounder-Kone Art Space in Los Angeles with his wife. Their work as collectors and arts patrons continued beyond the museum itself.

Boubacar Kone and CCH Pounder

Kone was married to actress CCH Pounder, known for roles in productions including The Shield, ER, Avatar and NCIS: New Orleans.

The couple’s marriage was closely connected with their shared interest in art. The Los Angeles Times reported in 2010 that Pounder lived in Los Angeles with her husband, Boubacar Koné.

Sources differ slightly on the exact year of their marriage. A published obituary described Pounder as Kone’s wife of 25 years when he died in 2016, while other biographical references place their marriage in the early 1990s. Because of that discrepancy, a precise wedding year is not treated as definitive here.

Art Collection

Kone and Pounder shared a substantial interest in collecting contemporary art from Africa and the African diaspora.

After Kone’s death, Pounder continued to exhibit and lend works from their collection. In 2024, WHYY reported that Pounder and her late husband had amassed more than 500 contemporary works by artists of the African diaspora. A selection of 40 works from the collection was displayed at the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

The collection has also been exhibited or loaned to institutions including the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center.

Family

Kone and Pounder had three children. The published obituary for Kone identifies their children as Cheik, Aisha, Awa, Noah and Mariama among the surviving family, but this information appears inconsistent with other biographical sources, which report three children. Because of that inconsistency, specific details about his children are not expanded upon here.

The family has generally maintained a lower public profile than Pounder, whose long acting career has made her a familiar figure in American television and film.

Death

Boubacar Kone died on August 3, 2016, in Los Angeles. His obituary identifies his date of birth as October 25, 1942, making him 73 at the time of his death.

His death marked the loss of an arts figure whose work connected Senegalese cultural institutions with the broader African-diasporic art community.

Net Worth

There is no reliable, independently verified public estimate of Boubacar Kone’s net worth. Online figures that lack supporting financial documentation are not sufficient to establish a trustworthy amount, so no net-worth figure is provided.

Interesting Facts About Boubacar Kone

• Boubacar Kone was born in Senegal in 1942.
• He studied journalism in Strasbourg, France.
• He participated in activities surrounding the first Festival Mondial des Arts Nègres in Dakar in 1966.
• He helped establish the Musée Boribana in Dakar with CCH Pounder.
• The museum was later gifted to the Senegalese people in 2014.
• Kone and Pounder also established the Pounder-Kone Art Space in Los Angeles.
• He died in Los Angeles in August 2016.

FAQs

Who was Boubacar Kone?

Boubacar Kone was a Senegalese museum founder and curator whose work focused on African and contemporary art. He was also the husband of actress CCH Pounder.

Who was Boubacar Kone married to?

Boubacar Kone was married to actress CCH Pounder. The couple shared a long-term partnership centered partly on their mutual interest in art and collecting.

What was Boubacar Kone known for?

Kone was particularly known for helping establish the Musée Boribana in Dakar, Senegal, and for his work as a curator and arts patron.

What was the Musée Boribana?

The Musée Boribana was a contemporary art museum in Dakar that Kone and CCH Pounder founded and built in the early 1990s. They later gifted it to Senegal in 2014.

When did Boubacar Kone die?

Boubacar Kone died on August 3, 2016, in Los Angeles. He was 73.

Where was Boubacar Kone born?

Kone was born in Senegal on October 25, 1942.

Did Boubacar Kone work in the arts?

Yes. His career included museum founding, curatorial work and involvement with African and African-diasporic art. He also worked with arts organizations in Canada and the United States.

Conclusion

Boubacar Kone was more than CCH Pounder’s husband. He built a career around African art and cultural institutions, with the Musée Boribana in Dakar standing among his most significant achievements. His partnership with Pounder also produced a substantial collection of contemporary African-diasporic art that continues to be exhibited after his death.

Don’t miss out — discover more stories only on Meet Celebrity.