Graphic design, or graphic design, also called graffiti, is the art of designing and organizing visual elements, such as images, texts, shapes and colors generally on walls or pavement. The approach aims to convey a message or provoke an emotion. Today this profession is practiced by some young people from Conakry, with many difficulties. In an interview with a Guineematin.com reporter, Abdourahmane Bangoura, a professional graphic designer for many years, explained that this art is synonymous with commitment. He also returned to the difficulties besetting the sector and denounced the lack of interest it arouses despite its committed nature.
Abdouramane Bangoura, graphic designer, returned to the origins and meaning of this profession.
“Graphic design was born in the 1980s in the United States and France. It was a form of urban expression that was born at the same time as Rap. Graphic design is an art that people on the street use to convey messages. Graffiti is an art which consists of designating on the wall, especially doing it on walls where you are forbidden to do it; it is a mark of revolt. I do this job out of passion. At one point, I frequented the Hip Hop world, and I saw that in this environment, if I have a role to play, it is to designate, since I already knew how to designate, I launched myself into graphics around the years 1996-1997. And back then, we did it with pens, pencils and such. Graphic design was not as popular, it was at times when countries were not completely open to the West, young people did not have access to magazines where they could see young artists to be better inspired . So, these are the difficulties that we went through. I make my works at 300,000 GNF, or more or less, because it depends on the work to be designated,” our interlocutor said.
-Furthermore, Abdourahmane Bangoura listed the difficulties they face in this art before providing advice to young people. “There are several difficulties. The very first is the acquisition of materials which poses a problem, because boom paints are excessively expensive here. One in ten artists is able to finance a graphic design. Graffiti in general, we don’t do it for financial gain, we do it for personal expression. Second, find available locations to be able to make your art. This freedom that other young people have on the other side is a little absent among us. Moreover, in our country, I noticed that nowadays young people transform their graffiti into a business, even though graffiti is not commercial. It was created solely to defend the causes and interests of street children. So, this is to tell you that it aims to convey a message and at the same time challenge the authorities. But, I would say that they are right, because it is not easy for them to come and do graffiti just for a simple exaltation of the soul, to the extent that these are materials which are excessively expensive for African artists. . And wanting to pay a large sum just to treat yourself, we know the standard of living of each of us here, so it wouldn’t be easy. All these barriers prevent young people from evolving in the real context of graffiti. I used to do graffiti and still do sometimes and the works you see on the wall here at the market corridor (Sanoyah) are from me. For example, I made this image of Navigator to offer my condolences to the youth of Guinea and to pay tribute to them. I’m still in the profession, but there is no structure interested in graffiti in Guinea, even rappers. And this is disappointing. I would tell the new generation to go for it, but above all to talk about their fight. Because the person who does the graffiti is a rebel, he is not there to please someone, but to defend his cause, his situation through his works,” he suggested.
Fatoumata Diouldé Diallo for Guineematin.com
