In two West African cities, artists are using creative expression to stitch together communities frayed by conflict and change. On the sunbaked edge of Timbuktu, Mali, and the bustling streets of Conakry, Guinea, fashion and graffiti are offering hope, healing, and a new narrative for cities long associated with turmoil.
On October 22, 2025, the ancient city of Timbuktu played host to a two-day "caravan for peace" fashion event. The open field at the city's edge was transformed into a vibrant runway, where young models—some of whom have survived the violence that has scarred their hometown—showcased colorful traditional attire. According to the Associated Press, the event was organized in partnership with local authorities and brought together dozens of local designers and models.
At the heart of the event was Sidi Ahmed Seidina Ali, better known as Alphadi, a celebrated African fashion designer and a native of Timbuktu. Surrounded by camels and young talent, Alphadi called out to the crowd, "Let us all come! All those born in Timbuktu, return to your homeland, return to your hometown to work and show that this city is magical." His words echoed a longing for peace and a future where the city's youth can realize their potential.
Timbuktu, once a renowned center for Islamic learning in pre-colonial West Africa, has endured years of violence at the hands of the al-Qaida-linked JNIM militant group. The city, like much of Mali, has struggled with insecurity; just this past June, militants targeted several Malian army positions, including an airport. As reported by the Associated Press, these attacks serve as a grim reminder of the militants' enduring power, even as authorities claim the security situation has improved.
Yet, the mood at the fashion show was one of resilience and optimism. Alphadi reminded attendees, "The modernity (of fashion) is not only in Paris, not only in New York, not only in Japan. Modernity is also here at home," he said, urging for "understanding between us, peace between us." His call was more than a plea—it was a challenge to the city's youth to seize their futures and to the world to recognize the creative spirit alive in Timbuktu.
Local officials echoed this sentiment. Issaka Nazoum, president of the Regional Council of Timbuktu, praised the event, describing the caravan as "a call for social cohesion and living together." For a city haunted by memories of conflict, the fashion show was a bold statement: Timbuktu's story is not only one of loss, but also of beauty, creativity, and hope.
Hundreds of miles away, in Conakry, Guinea, a different kind of artistic movement is transforming the cityscape. On October 24, 2025, Omar Diaw—known by his artist name "Chimere," French for chimera—stood before a blank wall off a busy thoroughfare, ready to bring it to life with spray paint. According to the Associated Press, Diaw's confidence was palpable. "They know who I am," he said, as his fellow artists unloaded dozens of paint cans onto the roadside.
Graffiti has long been a fixture of Diaw's native Senegal, but when he moved to Guinea in 2018, street art was nearly nonexistent and often dismissed as vandalism. "It was thought that graffiti was vandalism," Diaw admitted. To change perceptions, he adopted a gentle approach, using graffiti for public awareness campaigns. One of his first projects in Guinea was focused on COVID-19 prevention. "We had to seduce the population," he explained. Slowly, his vibrant murals became an undeniable part of Conakry's crowded, concrete-heavy landscape.
Diaw's work today includes larger-than-life images of famous Guinean musicians, African independence leaders, and political figures such as Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup. His graffiti collective, Guinea Ghetto Graff, has left its mark all over the city. As one 22-year-old driver, Ousmane Sylla, told the Associated Press, "It reminds us of old Guinean musicians. It reminds us of history. Graffiti is good for Africa, it’s good for this country, it’s good for everyone. I like it, and it changed the face of our city."
The roots of graffiti in West Africa stretch back to 1988, when Amadou Lamine Ngom—known as "Docta"—began painting on the walls of Dakar, Senegal. Ngom, now 51, recalled that early graffiti was mostly done at night, often for awareness campaigns. But he later shifted his approach. "I decided to do it in broad daylight," he said. "So as not to copy what’s happening in the United States, Europe or elsewhere. To create graffiti that resembles the African reality, taking into account our reality, our values."
Ngom eventually mentored the teenage Diaw, helping him understand that the key to acceptance was reflecting community values and experiences. With the public's support, authorities had little choice but to accept the new art form. Today, graffiti in Senegal has become more assertive, often woven into political messaging around anti-government protests. In Guinea, Diaw's murals have tackled pressing social issues like migration.
Perhaps most striking is the support Diaw now enjoys from local authorities. The governor of Conakry has given him carte blanche to paint wherever he wants, a remarkable turnaround for an art form once seen as subversive. As his latest mural took shape, passersby stopped to admire his work, a testament to how far graffiti has come in gaining public acceptance.
Yet, challenges remain. The graffiti scene in Guinea is still overwhelmingly male-dominated. Mama Aissata Camara, a rare female artist in the field, voiced her hopes for the future: "I would really like to see more women become a part of this, because they say that (graffiti) is for men." Her words point to the next frontier for Guinea's street art movement—greater inclusivity and diversity.
From the runways of Timbuktu to the murals of Conakry, West African artists are reclaiming public spaces and rewriting their cities' stories. They are showing that art is not just an escape from hardship, but a force for unity, pride, and renewal. In places too often defined by conflict, creativity is proving to be a powerful call for peace and progress.
