A Real Madame Diop

Until now, Khoudia Diop hasn’t spoken much about her Senegalese heritage and she wants to change that with the photo series Nyenyo, an ode to her family and Senegalese (Wolof) culture.

The series is named after the caste her family is from in Senegal. Nyenyo, also known as ‘teug’ or ‘ngengo’, are the blacksmiths and metalworkers of the Senegalese caste system. In her family’s case, they are jewelry makers and gold workers – Khoudia is very proud of this. Although caste systems are used as a stringent class system, and cultural identifier to maintain hierarchy in many different cultures all over the world, Khoudia embraces her Nyenyo heritage and doesn’t see the label as a hindrance.

Rather, she sees it as part of the fabric of her identity, her family’s history and the overall story of her people.

Read full article here: https://trueafrica.co/picture_story/khoudia-diop-is-a-senegalese-queen-in-stunning-photoshoot/