Chanel Diagne is a French artist of Senegalese origin. A highly eclectic artist, Chanel works in a wide range of arts and materials: painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, video, drawing, etc. This versatility, combined with her commitment to activism, has enabled her to develop her own artistic universe, in which she brings to the fore her own life experiences, the themes that are dear to her (childhood, Africa, interbreeding), and her awareness of past and present issues (slavery in Mauritania, genocide in Sudan, racial issues).
Recently, Chanel Diagne began renovating a family home in Sédhiou, Casamance. This very personal project allows her to live between Paris and Casamance, and to further develop her links and projects with the region, where she has already carried out several artistic residencies.
Chanel Diagne’s artistic residency at Musa Ngum artists’ house is a new joint project with the Alliance Française de Ziguinchor, involving a residency to write the graphic novel Amours et mensonges des années 50 en noir et blanc. Dans le Paris du quartier latin. First, Chanel stayed for a fortnight in the artists’ house at the Alliance Française de Ziguinchor, where she began writing her graphic novel. Chanel then arrived in Banjul. This first stay in Gambia gave her the opportunity to discover local life, the atmosphere of the streets of Serrekunda, and the gentle Gambian coast, an environment that fed her imagination and helped her to develop her creation.
For the layout of her novel, Chanel worked closely with Mariama, a young Gambian entrepreneur working with the Gambia Tech Project.
Finally, Chanel took advantage of her visit to Banjul to meet the Gambian public. She took the opportunity to present her work, her story and the content of her residency.