While the second edition of festival Graff Saha takes place from December 16 to 20, 2023 in Ouagadougou, Manoos, the visionary behind this artistic event explores the evolution of graffiti in Burkina Faso and its essential role in its development.
Ousmane Guigma, known as Manoos, has devoted more than 15 years of his life to the art of graffiti. Initiator and coordinator of the international graffiti festival, Graff Saha, Manoos plays a crucial role in promoting this urban art. He holds the status of member and ambassador within the RBS crew, a pan-African collective of graffiti artists and designers based in Dakar, Senegal. During an interview at the Gambidi cultural space he lends himself to my questions.
The murals of Manoos at the Paaglayiri youth center during the first edition of the Graff Saha Festival. CP: La page Facebook du festival Graff Saha.
How did you get into the profession of graffiti artist and what is the state of this art in Burkina Faso?
There has been a hip hop festival called “Ouaga hip hop” since the 2000s and which saw the participation of great American, European and African artists. At one point, Ouaga Hip Hop broadened its horizons by offering classes in graffiti, writing, slam, hip-hop dance and DJ’ing. This is where I began my training as a graffiti artist. But, well before this period, from my primary school years, I already had a passion for drawing, a profession that I always aspired to pursue. At a certain point, I decided to leave school to devote myself fully to my childhood dream. Unfortunately, there is no art school.
Currently, there are only two of us who have persevered in this discipline since our training. The profession of graffiti artist does not benefit from any particular status. When we talk about a painter, it encompasses all artistic forms, including graffiti, which, after all, is a form of pictorial expression. In the same way that an artist paints a work and declares it, the graffiti artist creates a composition, photographs it, then proceeds to declare it. In this sense, the two approaches are similar. However, it is up to us, graffiti artists, to promote the idea of official recognition of our profession. Some graffiti artists may not be considered painters, but for graffiti to achieve special status, it is imperative that it be fully recognized. For example, in Senegal and Benin, graffiti art has undergone significant development, which could serve as a model for our own recognition.
By investing in training programs, graffiti artists hope to reveal a growing number of national graffiti artists. CP: The Graff Saha festival Facebook page.
What are the tools of a professional graffiti artist? ?
When we approach the subject of graffiti, the association with spray paint, also called spray paint or spray in English, as well as acrylic paint, is generally automatic. However, beyond these elements, it is important to emphasize that graffiti can be achieved with a variety of tools, including brushes and rollers, especially in the absence of spray paint. With the evolution of this artistic form, graffiti can now be expressed on various media. Being a graffiti artist requires, above all, drawing skills. An understanding of the basics of drawing is crucial, given that the majority of graffiti involves stylized, consistent lettering. So, prior knowledge is essential. Unfortunately, graffiti is not yet widely recognized in our region. Often when people see graffiti on a wall, most think it was done by foreign artists. This perception is often influenced by representations in films and videos. Graffiti remains a profession steeped in mystery, with most graffiti artists devoting themselves to this artistic form out of passion. However, beyond this passion, graffiti offers lucrative opportunities. Some individuals may be interested in integrating graffiti into spaces such as bars, restaurants, cultural venues, or even on t-shirts, motorcycles, and many other media. In many cases, graffiti artists seek to spread their artistic signature throughout the world, thus contributing to the fame and recognition of their work.
Can you tell us about the Graff Saha festival and its main objective?
“Graff” comes from the word “graffiti”, and “saha” finds its meaning in the Moaga language, translating as “moment” or “period”. Thus, “Graff Saha” takes on its full meaning by evoking the “graffiti moment”. This designation reflects our deep commitment to urban art and its evolution over time. Our vision for Graff Saha revolves around the training of young designers and painters truly passionate about this art. We aspire to establish a dynamic of knowledge transmission to democratize graffiti. By investing in training programs, we hope that future editions of the festival will reveal an increasing number of national graffiti artists. This approach aims to stimulate and further popularize graffiti art, creating a vibrant and thriving national art community.
Manoos, Graffiti trainer during the first edition of the Graff Saha festival. CP: The festival’s Facebook page
The theme for this 2nd edition is ”The walls have ears”. What meaning do you want to attribute to it?
When we affirm through the theme: ” Walls have ears “, it’s not that the walls listen to what we say, but the walls need to hear what we say through graffiti. This goes beyond the simple idea that walls listen to our words. In reality, it is a recognition that the walls long to hear what we express through the language of graffiti. The theme carries a symbolic depth, emphasizing that the walls, initially blank and silent, need to receive our artistic messages. This approach is part of a philosophical dimension, inviting everyone to interpret the theme in their own way. We believe in the power of artistic expression to give voice to our environment. The objective is to make the walls hear the resonances of the current situation in our country. If the theme of the previous edition focused on ‘community resilience in the face of terrorism’, this year we have chosen a broader theme. It encompasses all aspects of contemporary society, highlighting essential values such as forgiveness, reconciliation and peace. This approach reflects a real awareness on the part of young Africans, thus contributing to the construction of a more enlightened and united society.
The walls need to hear what graffiti artists have to say through their graffiti. CP: The Graff Saha festival Facebook page.
Who are the artists and goofballs participating in this edition of the festival?
For this edition, our reflection focused particularly on the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). We are delighted to have the participation of a talented Nigerian artist named Eric, who will bring his unique vision to the event. In addition, we will have the honor of seeing Chris represent Mali, thus adding a diverse artistic dimension to our festival. Continuing our commitment to cultural diversity, we are also planning the participation of one or more artists from Benin. At the same time, talented local artists will also be present to enrich this artistic encounter. This diversity of artists, representing different regions and perspectives, promises an exceptional edition of the festival, where the cultural and artistic wealth of the Sahel States will be celebrated.
What activities can the public participate in this year?
For this second edition, a range of exciting activities is planned. We organized two days dedicated to stimulating workshops, two days dedicated to the creation of murals and artistic performances, and as a highlight, a 100% Hip Hop closing evening in the form of a concert. This last day has a special meaning, because graffiti being a discipline of Hip Hop, we decided to incorporate DJ’ing on the performance site to galvanize the graffiti artists with scratches and a catchy musical atmosphere. A specific space, the festival village, will also be set up. Throughout the event, this space will host an exhibition and sale, highlighting clothing brands, art objects, gadgets, sketchbooks and various items. In summary, the festival will take place in three distinct locations. The first two days of workshops will take place from January 16 to 17 at African Initiative, a Russian-Burkinabe association located in the Bonheur Ville district. The following days will be dedicated to performances, with the creation of murals on the site of the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), and the high point of the festival, the closing concert , will take place at the Espace Nouvelle Option, also at Bonheur Ville.
Participants in the graffiti workshop at the first edition of the Graff saha festival. CP: The Graff Saha festival Facebook page.
With an optimistic vision, our ambition for the future is to see graffiti in Burkina Faso, in particular our festival, take on a considerable scale, thus paving the way for relocation to all cities in the country. We also plan to invite American and European artists and eminent renowned graffiti artists to participate and enrich this event. The idea is to make the festival a platform for exchange and artistic celebration on a national and international scale, thus promoting the influence of graffiti in Burkina Faso.