When Dieynaba Sidibé discovered graffiti, it was love at first sight. She was 17 and had already begun experimenting with painting and drawing. Her parents wanted her to focus on her studies, but Sidibé, who adopted the name Zeinixx, sought out Senegal’s budding graffiti community, finding her way to the Africulturban cultural association – a non-profit in Dakar’s Pikine suburb that promotes urban culture through festivals and skills training. There, she persuaded one of the country’s pioneering artists, Oumar Diop, AKA Afia Grafixx, to mentor her. She is also a slam poet, singer, and entrepreneur. In August, she launched Zeinixx Entertainment, organising visual arts workshops for young people.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
