Kheraba Traore

Kheraba Traoré, born in Senegal in 1987, embarked on his artistic journey by enrolling at the Dakar School of Fine Arts. He made a resolute decision to devote his artistic endeavors to addressing the plight of children and raising awareness about the violations of children’s rights perpetrated by adults. His unwavering commitment is particularly directed towards the street children known as “talibés.”

Entrusted by their often impoverished rural families to Koranic schools, or Daaras, for religious education, these talibé children are typically boys aged 4 to 15. To cover the costs of their education, these children are compelled to perform domestic chores and, most distressingly, are often coerced into begging. Tragically, they endure numerous forms of abuse, a grave injustice that has drawn the condemnation of humanitarian organizations. Despite the Senegalese government’s pledge in 2016 to eradicate this modern form of slavery, the global economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have impeded the enforcement of laws designed to combat child trafficking of this nature.

When a viewer takes a moment to pause and reflect, each of Kheraba Traoré’s artworks serves as an impassioned plea for the protection and respect of children and a staunch condemnation of the violence perpetrated against them. Traoré’s recurring themes are encapsulated in every canvas: first and foremost, children and their entitlement to the ten fundamental pillars of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by nearly every nation worldwide, except the United States, in 1989.

Traoré’s art draws inspiration from childhood cartoons, featuring partially defined childlike characters adorned with vibrant and fluorescent splashes of color. These elements engage the viewer in a dialogue surrounding the themes of innocence and resilience, as they relate to the stories of children who navigate their days between the harsh realities of street violence and the pure innocence of childhood games. In his work, Traoré portrays these children with an uncompromising style, offering an honest and unfiltered perspective on their inspiring tales of resilience.

In celebration of International Children’s Day on November 20, 2021, which marked the conclusion of the exhibition, Kheraba Traoré’s art found a platform to advocate for children’s rights. The artist drew inspiration from the Wolof language, the dominant language in Senegal, focusing on words starting with “Y” such as “Yar,” “Yiir,” “Yor,” “Yedd,” “Yemale,” “Yee,” and “Yeug.” These terms signify education, protection, care, counsel, assistance in guaranteeing rights, awakening, and the provision of love and affection to a child. Traoré’s works become a powerful advocacy tool for children’s rights, challenging the systemic social stigma and violence faced by street children in numerous urban environments across Africa.

As this artist’s voice deserves to be heard, his creations have journeyed to the North, currently exhibited in Switzerland at the ILAB-Design Gallery. This exhibition serves as an echo of his voice, asserting that art must be engaged. It has the potential to convey to the public the urgency of addressing children’s rights as proclaimed in the United Nations Charter. Kheraba Traoré’s art is a potent catalyst for change, shedding light on the challenges faced by children and advocating for their rights with unwavering determination.