Yoff Layène, Senegal – An exhibition titled “Au nom de la lumière” (In the Name of Light) opened Friday at the Préau de Layène in Yoff, showcasing the function of two generations of Senegalese photographers, Roger Da Silva (1925-2008) and Libasse Ndiaye. The exhibition, which will run until the celebration of Tabaski, presents twelve photographs exploring themes of faith and community.
The exhibition juxtaposes Da Silva’s black-and-white photographs from 1954, capturing the Layène community in prayer, with Ndiaye’s contemporary color images. Da Silva’s work, described as illustrating “a community in prayer, an embodied faith, a tranquil identity and immaculate harmony,” includes a striking image of Seydina Mandione Lahi delivering a message following prayer.
Ndiaye’s photographs revisit the same locations decades later, examining the continuity of rituals and the evolving dynamics of the Layène youth. One image depicts the current khalife, advancing towards his followers, a gesture described by organizers as perpetuating a long-standing tradition within the Layène brotherhood of engaging directly with the community.
“Between the gaze of yesterday from photographer Roger Da Silva and that of today from Libasse Ndiaye, we seek to tell a living story, that of a community carried by light, in the image,” said Ousmane Ndoye, the exhibition’s advocacy and communications officer, according to the Agence de Presse Sénégalaise (APS). He added that the exhibition highlights both the past and present, representing a dialogue between generations.
The exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Institut Français de Dakar and is part of the bicentennial celebration of photography. Organizers emphasize the unique nature of the exhibition, describing it as a meeting point between memory and the present, where images serve as a form of transmission, illuminating both current and future generations.
Roger Da Silva, born in Benin in 1925, began his photographic career while serving in the French army in 1942, documenting war casualties and the return of concentration camp survivors. He was also a multifaceted artist, working as an actor and tap dancer. Libasse Ndiaye, a contemporary photographer and master’s student in hospitality and tourism management, has been practicing photography since 2006 and developed a contemporary style after training at “Lord Design.”
According to the Institut Français du Sénégal, the exhibition asks the question of how faith is visually represented, exploring spirituality, rituals, and moments of transcendence through the lens of light as a symbol of transmission and elevation. The exhibition is under the high patronage of Seydina Mouhamadou Lamine Lahi, khalife of the Layène brotherhood.
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