I begin to paint from a vision that must live outside my mind. My family inspires these images, and my experience in the African Diaspora.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
I create work that lives between painting, film, and fashion. My art is rooted in African neo-expressionism, where emotion, spirituality, and identity collide. Whether I’m painting a canvas, writing a film, or designing a garment, I’m always telling the same story —where I come from and what shaped me. I don’t separate mediums. For me, everything is one language.
Where do you find inspiration?My inspiration comes from my journey — growing up in Senegal, losing my father, and rebuilding myself in Los Angeles. I find inspiration in people, in the streets, in struggle, and in quiet moments of reflection. A dream I had in 2019 pushed me to start painting, and since then, I’ve been translating my life into visual form. My work is a mix of memory, culture, and spiritual connection.
What would you do with $25,000?I would use the funds to produce a short film titled The Clown of Crenshaw, adapted from one of my original paintings. The story follows a Senegalese musician displaced by violence who arrives in Los Angeles with his trauma-silent daughter, fighting for asylum while holding onto the last pieces of his identity. This project allows me to transform a still image into a living narrative—bridging painting and cinema, which are both central to my work. I want to create something raw and human
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