El Hadji Sy is a painter, curator, and activist. He has always been involved in the development of art and culture of his country Senegal through collective initiatives. In 1977, he founded the first Village des Arts in a former military camp based in Dakar city centre. His works have been shown in several exhibitions worldwide, including Documenta 14, Kassel and Athens, 2017; and a major retrospective called Painting, Performance, Politics at Weltkulturen Museum, Frankfurt am Main, 2015. His works are in a number of important collections including the Blachère Foundation, David Bowie Collection, and Bassam Chaitou/Jom Collection, among others. El Hadji Sy lives and works in Dakar, Senegal.

As of March 2026