Mariama Diamanka: Promoting Peace Through Art

Mariama Diamanka, leading urban artist in Dakar, Senegal.Mariama Diamanka, with permission

Mariama Diamanka is an artist from Dakar, the capital of Senegal, Africa. A short documentary about her work by Cheikh Darou Seck, Diamanka, is the second place winner in the Arts Heroes category, and was a finalist in the Women Transforming Media Category of the 20^th Annual MY HERO International Film Festival.

Mariama Diamanka, with permissionDiamanka stands with one of her completed murals.

Diamanka first became interested in art whilst at high school in 2011, she told MY HERO, and soon decided that she wanted to become a professional artist. After Diamanka shared this with her mother, her mother encouraged her to complete her studies before pursuing art fully. However, as she continued her studies, Diamanka’s concentrating began waning as her love for art and desire to create continued to grow. She finally decided to leave school, find a small job, and begin saving money for the tuition fees to art school.

With help from her mother, Diamanka was finally able to enrol onto a four-year-long art course after a year of saving; she graduated from art school with honors. Whilst there, Diamanka met a fellow student called Alpha S'y, who introduced her to a style of art that she had not yet come across: graffiti. Diamanka instantly fell in love with the style and began creating her own urban art. With direction from Alpha S'y and other members of his collective, RBS Crew (of which she is now a member), Diamanka became a prominent urban artist in Senegal. Her work reflects her passion for promoting peace, harmony, and social progress, and she hopes that her work will inspire young people in Dakar to implement those values in their own lives.

Mariama Diamanka, with permissionDiamanka works on one of her colorful murals.

On her hopes for the future, Diamanka told MY HERO:

May my art be a weapon of communication in the future, a future full of hope, peace, and awareness for young people.

Mariama Diamanka, with permissionDiamanka's workMariama Diamanka, with permissionWork by DiamankaMariama Diamanka, with permissionOne of Diamanka's murals in Dakar.

Cheikh Darou Seck, the creator of the film Diamanka, was Diamanka’s English teacher at Martin Luther King College. Sharing Diamanka’s passion for art, Seck was supportive and always showed appreciation for her work. “He’s always talked about MY HERO, for years,” Diamanka explained, “and now here we are – in MY HERO!”

You can watch the film about Mariama Diamanka here.

About Cheikh Darou Seck

Cheikh Darou Seck, a teacher from Senegal, has been a friend of The MY HERO Project since he met co-founder and Director Jeanne Meyers at an International Education Network (iEARN) conference in 2004. Once Seck learned about MY HERO, he was keen to get his students in Africa involved and create a portfolio about heroes from Senegal. When he returned to Senegal, Seck and his students were supported by MY HERO in beginning to create films and become more involved in media arts. Seck has since made numerous films telling fascinating stories of unsung heroes from around the world.

In 2009, Cheikh Darou Seck the MY HERO Global Educator Award. The Global Educator Award honors people working to create meaningful change in the world through education. Previous winners include Dr Mandeep Rai, Frances Moore Lappé of ‘Diet for a Small Planet’, Yasmine Sherif from Education Cannot Wait and Melinda Gates. See more HERE.

Watch a film about Cheikh Darou Seck and his work here.

About the MY HERO International Film Festival:

The My Hero Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to showcasing films that celebrate the power of the human spirit. The festival provides a platform for filmmakers to share inspirational stories of everyday heroes. Thanks to generous sponsors, prizes are awarded to elementary, middle school, high school, college and professionals in a variety of categories including documentary, narrative, music video, animation, experimental, and more.

The festival aims to inspire audiences to recognize the heroism in their own lives and encourage positive actions in their communities. Learn more.

Join us in celebrating 20 years of The MY HERO International Film Festival on November 16, 6pm @ the Ann and Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School in Santa Monica, California. Find out more HERE.