Anna Binta Diallo investigates the concepts of belonging and non-belonging through the themes of identity, race and colonialism. Arranging and combining found materials into collages, she creates surprising new narratives and viewpoints. Diallo’s works are spatial installations consisting of paintings, drawings and videos, as well as digital and paper collages.

Diallo’s installation Wanderings examines imaginary figures and places from folk stories, reinterpreting them and creating new legends. She is intrigued by how our ideas of ourselves and our communities are shaped by traditions and stories throughout the world. In today’s globally unified world, folk traditions also migrate. In her work, Diallo explores topical issues of non-belonging, such as immigration, the refugee crisis, racism and geographic boundaries.

Anna Binta Diallo (b. 1983, Dakar, Senegal) lives and works in Montreal, Canada. Growing up in a multi-cultural family has had a decisive influence on her creative work: she has explored the construction of her own identity, the desire for belonging, as well as Canada’s legacy of colonialism and racism that persists to this day. She hopes that her art can inspire people to examine their at-times problematic and even violent heritage and to build bridges and discourse between different communities.