Senghor’s Vision: art, identity and culture
“To Know the Senegalese Art Scene, You Must Acknowledge Senghor”
He was a poet. He was a sculptor. He was an essayist. He was an activist. He was the President.
A Home with a Legacy
At the Corniche Ouest, a street over from the most beautiful shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, sits the former residence of Léopold Sédar Senghor, the first president of the Republic of Senegal. A wooden door set against the beige stone walls leads you into the iconic space, now a museum dedicated to commemorating the late president’s legacy.
The house resembles the iconic structure of the University of Timbuktu. The guide explains to me that a French architect designed the home in reference to the Sahelian style, paying homage to African architecture. Learning that the residence had been mainly preserved in its original condition, I was excited to learn what I could about art through Senghor’s life and style.
Rooms with Intention
Each room was different. There was an intentional theme in the salons. A pink room, a mint green room, a soft plush room, a blue room, an office, his office. Each room had character and maintained it from floor to ceiling and each corner.
It was clear to me that every artistic choice was intentional. There were wooden sculptures, some, I believe, he did himself.
Amplifying Senegalese Art
There were chosen tapestries of artwork by select Senegalese artists—each carefully placed, telling a story of national pride, suggesting that Senghor didn’t just appreciate local art, he amplified it, institutionalised it, and gave it a platform.
There were many artistic gifts from other nations, such as Japan and Korea. His home reflected a dialogue and an embrace of cultures.
From my visit to the residence, I learned that he valued art. He collected it. He curated it. He created it.
Having such a connection to art, he championed it and advocated for artists.
A Visionary for the Arts
Léopold Sédar Senghor championed art in several ways, allowing the art scene in Senegal to thrive as it does today.
He established national institutions like the École des Beaux-Arts and the Tapestry School in Thiès to train artists and uplift Senegalese visual culture formally. These were fully funded, structured spaces that enabled generations of artists to build careers with dignity.
He also allocated a significant portion of Senegal’s national budget to culture, which is not seen in many African countries, but Senghor mandated this. This effort sends the message that artists were valued citizens and their art was necessary and essential to the identity and culture of Senegal.
Global Representation Through Art
He created opportunities for artists to represent Senegal abroad and brought the world to Dakar through events like the First World Festival of Negro Arts in 1966. With participants from Africa and the diaspora, as well as support from UNESCO, the festival aimed to show that Black art was rich, diverse and belonged on the global stage.
Senghor also forged partnerships with artists, dancers, and musicians. He encouraged them and also offered salaries, commissions and pensions.
To have a president who understood and championed the arts was vital for the continued success of the Senegalese art scene.
Amitia’s Reflection: Embrace, Believe, Pursue
In alignment with my Amitia philosophy of embracing, believing and pursuing, Senghor didn’t wait for approval of Senegalese art from anyone else. He trusted it, nurtured it, and implemented it into national consciousness.
And maybe that’s the lesson: in a world that often sidelines the artist, Senghor built a nation supporting them.
A Note on Legacy
(Disclaimer: The success of the art scene in Dakar and Senegal overall is not solely due to Senghor; however, he did play an important role. There is more to be done to support this sector, however, this post pays its respects to what was done for the artists, by a leader who was one himself, and prided culture as a means to develop his country and the continent.)
