Try GOLD - Free
Graffiti finds acceptance in West Africa
Los Angeles Times
|October 27, 2025
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.
MISPER APAWU Associated Press
"OUR REALITY, our values": A street vendor walks past a mural depicting dancers in Conakry, Guinea.
"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 native Senegal, where the modern urban street art first took off in West Africa. But when he moved to Guinea in 2018 to explore a new place, he said such art was nearly nonexistent.
"It was thought that graffiti was vandalism," he said. To win over the public, Diaw took a gentle approach, using graffiti for public awareness campaigns. One of his first was to raise awareness about COVID-19 preventive measures.
"We had to seduce the population," he said.
The port city of Conakry faces rapid urbanization. Diaw's graffiti has become an undeniable part of its crowded, concrete-heavy landscape.
This story is from the October 27, 2025 edition of Los Angeles Times.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
How hantavirus broke out, spread fear globally
Exotic locales, close ship quarters a deadly combination
7 mins
May 15, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Justices OK mailing abortion pills, for now
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an antiabortion challenge to federal regulations that permit sending pills through the mail once a patient has consulted a doctor online.
4 mins
May 15, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Ship is seized, another is sunk near Iran
The latest incidents take place as Tehran reasserts claim over Strait of Hormuz.
4 mins
May 15, 2026
Los Angeles Times
U.S. deportations to El Salvador double as Bukele backs Trump
The number of people deported to El Salvador from the U.S. nearly doubled in the first months of 2026, according to official figures, a change that comes as Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has positioned himself as an ally willing to help the Trump administration accelerate deportations, a central priority.
2 mins
May 15, 2026
Los Angeles Times
The crazy new world of wildfire home-defense tech
With wildfires destroying thousands of structures a year and threatening many more in California, the state has seen a boom in startups that claim to have engineered a solution to protect homes from wildfires.
2 mins
May 15, 2026
Los Angeles Times
A fan favorite of the ‘Nerds’ films
Actor also appeared in ‘Bloodsport’ franchise starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
2 mins
May 15, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Xi warns Trump against threat to bilateral ties
Chinese leader says support for Taiwan could set off conflict between superpowers.
5 mins
May 15, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Neo-Nazi gets 15 years for recruiting others for violent attacks
The leader of an Eastern European neo-Nazi group has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trying to recruit others to commit violent attacks against Jews and racial minorities, including one plot that would have involved dressing as Santa Claus to hand out poisoned candy to children.
2 mins
May 15, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Ohio congressman sues ex-wife, saying she defamed him
The bitter divorce between an Ohio congressman and his former wife, the daughter of one of the state’s U.S. senators, has escalated into new legal action.
2 mins
May 15, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Oilers fire coach Knoblauch
The Edmonton Oilers fired coach Kris Knoblauch, dismissing him after a first-round exit followed him guiding the team to consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
2 mins
May 15, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size