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'Our reality, our values': Graffiti finds growing acceptance in West Africa
Omar Diaw uses murals to shift perceptions of graffiti from vandalism to cultural expression, supported by local authorities and embraced by the public in Conakry.
- In Conakry, a mural of Guinea's President Mamadi Doumbouya was painted by Omar Diaw, a Guinean graffiti artist, on Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025, attracting passersby who admired it.
- Tracing its roots to Dakar in 1988, modern West African graffiti began when Amadou Lamine Ngom painted city walls, and Senegal remains a long-standing hub with assertive political messages.
- After moving to Guinea in 2018 where graffiti was rare, Diaw built acceptance by starting with public-awareness murals, including an early COVID-19 campaign, engaging residents in broad daylight.
- Diaw's murals now dominate parts of Conakry, with Guinea Ghetto Graff tags across the city, and artists hope to include more women like Mama Aissata Camara.
- Community support compelled authorities to accept murals, as Diaw and Ngom say they `seduced the population` and emphasize reflecting African reality and values.
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22 Articles
Associated Press News+15 Reposted by 15 other sources
'Our reality, our values': Graffiti finds growing acceptance in West Africa
Street art graffiti is spreading in West Africa. In Guinea's capital, an artist from Senegal is transforming city walls and public perceptions.
·United States
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‘Our reality, our values': Graffiti finds growing acceptance in West Africa
It was the middle of the day when Omar Diaw, known by his artist name “Chimere” — French for chimera — approached a blank wall off the main thoroughfare in Guinea ‘s capital and started spray-painting. “They know who I am,” he said confidently. Though it wasn’t clear who ”they” were, civilians and police didn’t bat an eye as Diaw’s fellow artists unloaded dozens of paint cans onto the roadside in Conakry. Graffiti has thrived for years in Diaw’s…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources22
Leaning Left9Leaning Right2Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution47% Left
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources lean Left
47% Left
L 47%
C 42%
11%
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