Djibril Dramé

B.1988, Dakar, Senegal. Lives and works in Dakar, Senegal.

Djibril Dramé is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in the spiritual ethos of the Baye Fall Sufi brotherhood. His work weaves poetic and politically engaged approaches to cultural memory with contemporary African aesthetics.

He began experimenting with graffiti at the age of nine and turned to photography at fifteen. In his early twenties, Dramé became deeply involved in Dakar’s graffiti collectives, where he developed the most extensive archive of street art practice in Senegal through photography and interviews. This formative work shaped a practice attentive to urban space, collective authorship and visual history.

His practice has since expanded into fine art photography and video, alongside acclaimed commercial projects in fashion and corporate contexts. Across these fields, Dramé has developed a distinct visual language that foregrounds Black experience and excellence, migration and diaspora, spirituality and gender identity—most often through photographic portraiture made with a Hasselblad 907X & CFV 100C medium-format camera.

Dramé first exhibited at October Gallery in the group exhibition Inheriting the Future, in April 2026. He exhibited bold photographic works from his series Ndewendeul, which he commenced in 2010, as an exploration of the spiritual values of the Baye Fall Sufi brotherhood - an unorthodox yet powerful community within the larger Islamic world. While the project is rooted in his close relationship with his Sufi “brothers” and “sisters,” it also extends beyond them, inviting presence of “other” and opening a broader dialogue about community, identity and belonging. In 2014, Dramé developed the first major iteration of the series by setting up a portable studio in Dakar, Senegal. This allowed him to capture intimate moments of sharing and joyful celebration during traditional Eid festivities. Dramé’s arresting images reverberate with the dramatic styles of individuals dressed in the vibrantly coloured patchwork fabrics characteristic of the Baye Fall brotherhood, whom he often portrays against patterned, industrial PVC canvases.

Dramé is a member of the sixth cohort of residents at Black Rock Senegal; he recently completed a Dekandoo residency in Gandiol, Saint-Louis, Senegal, and is currently based in Barcelona at The Over to continue his research on migration, identity and spirituality. His works are represented in private collections across Africa, Europe, the UAE, and the USA.

Since his first exhibition in 2012, Dramé has presented his work across Africa, Europe, the USA and the UAE. His practice is deeply collaborative, bringing together artists, researchers and thinkers around Black and diasporic narratives. He exhibited a solo exhibition, Migration and Identity, at IMADI space, Dakar, Senegal as part of the Dak’Art Biennial OFF in 2024. He has participated at multiple international art fairs including 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, Art X Lagos, Photo London and Africa Basel. 

Dramé is a member of the sixth cohort of residents at Black Rock Senegal; he recently completed a Dekandoo residency in Gandiol, Saint-Louis, Senegal, and is currently based in Barcelona at The Over to continue his research on migration, identity and spirituality. His works are represented in private collections across Africa, Europe, the UAE, and the USA.

For sales enquiries please contact: art@octobergallery.co.uk Or call + 44 (0)20 7242 7367
View below for career highlights and works for sale by the artist.