Mafory Bangoura

Personal collection / —

Classification

Heritage / Family heirloom

Materials

Silver gelatin print on photographic paper, framed.

Historical period

1910-1976

Place of origin

Guinea, Conakry

An archival portrait of Hadja Aissatou Mafory Bangoura, the artist’s great-great-grandmother and a leading figure in Guinea’s struggle for independence from French colonial rule. A seamstress turned political organizer, she mobilized women during the historic 1953 general strike and organized armed women’s militias. Following Guinea’s independence in 1958, she became a prominent political leader and Minister of Social Affairs. Known as the “President of the Women of Guinea,” her legacy remains an enduring part of both the nation’s history and the artist’s family lineage.