Eight visual artists paint for peace

Last week we opened the exhibition “8 Women, 8 Artists, 8 Brushes” at the Opera Village in the presence of many visitor. In a society like the one in Burkina Faso, where being a woman often amounts to silence, where submission to social rules is considered an aspirational value, these young women artists break their silence. They speak to the world, to society, because they have much to say in these times. As the young Afghan Malala Yousafzai said, “No struggle can be successful without women participating alongside men. There are two powers in the world. One is the power of the sword, the other is the power of the pen. There is a third that is even stronger than the first two: the power of women.”

In Burkina Faso, which is currently facing terrorism, these young women want to paint a better picture. They believe that they have the solution to the heart cries of their country, connect through their art a tattered Burkina, as if to say that tomorrow everything will be better.

The result is eight works by female visual artists – Mariétou Savadogo, Madina Gnanou, Marie Alida Sanou, W. Armelle Faoziatou Ouédraogo, A. Axelle Nogma Ouédraogo and Edwige Sanon – who showcase their creative skills and explore the possibilities of peace and the important role women play in it. The exhibition runs through April 7 at Opera Village Africa.