A bold new wave of Francophone artists is redefining the portrait, turning a centuries-old tradition into a powerful tool for storytelling, identity, and resistance. From Paris to Dakar, their work fuses memory, myth, and personal histories to spotlight marginalized voices. Rayane Mcirdi and Alireza Shojaian explore diaspora and Queer identity through layered narratives, while Inès di Folco Jemni infuses ritual and decolonial memory into her dreamlike canvases. Meanwhile, Omar Victor Diop reimagines African heritage with style and substance, Nanténé Traoré crafts poetic, emotionally charged photo essays, and Maty Biayenda stitches together personal and collective pasts through textile and portraiture. Together, they breathe thrilling new life into a timeless form—one story, one face, one frame at a time.
Art Basel
