Saye Sarr Legacy
A collaborative project by Sarah Ly and Papa Babacar Gaye
Sarah Ly (photography, art direction & textile design) and Papa Babacar Gaye (screen printing).
Saye Sarr is a heroine.
Her life is shaped by responsibility, care, and quiet strength. Every morning, she wakes up before everyone else to sell vegetables at the market and provide for her family. At home, she creates structure, radiates warmth, and holds the family together with natural dignity and calm resilience—in a way that deeply moves those around her. The daughters she raises come from different family lines, yet she treats them all as her own. For her, there is no distinction—only connection.
As a young woman, she became the first wife in a traditional polygamous marriage—a common family structure in Senegal. When the second wife, a younger woman, passed away unexpectedly and at an early age, Saye Sarr took in her children without hesitation. She raised them with the same devotion as her own. For her, there was no difference—only connection.
Later, her husband also passed away, leaving Saye Sarr solely responsible for the entire family. With the loss of his income, she began working at the market to support everyone. Over time, the children of the second wife could have gone their separate ways—but they all chose to stay in her home. A sign of the immense and loving heart she must have.
Saye Sarr is what one might call a modern matriarch—quiet in presence, yet powerful in impact. Her silent authority, her nurturing spirit, and the way she connects generations is timelessly inspiring.
As an artist and a woman, I was deeply touched by this encounter. I felt the need to portray her as I experienced her—strong, tender, centered. Each young woman in the photographs wears a garment I personally designed for her. The youngest daughters—the new generation—wear traditional Taybass fabric combined with pants. This visual decision was intentional: it links tradition with autonomy and highlights how the younger generation embodies and continues the legacy of Saye Sarr.
One of her daughters, Ndeye Gaye, is a seamstress. She carefully and skillfully crafted all the garments for this project. Her work brings an additional layer to Saye Sarr Legacy: the result is not just an artistic portrait but a collaborative creation carried by women’s hands and hearts.
All mothers are heroines.
They often carry more than is visible and hold families and communities together at their core. Saye Sarr Legacy is a photographic-textile project dedicated to one such woman—and through her, to all women who work in the background and carry life forward.
From the encounter with Saye Sarr, an artistic work was born—merging photography, textile design, and traditional craftsmanship. The young women in the images—her daughters—wear dresses designed specifically for the project. They are printed with a portrait of Saye Sarr, taken on the day of one of her children’s baptisms.
Screen printing plays a central role in the project. The prints were produced by hand using traditional methods by Papa Babacar Gaye—an artist deeply rooted in Senegal’s screen-printing culture. Through a close artistic collaboration, garments were created that are not only visual carriers but also vessels of memory, respect, and intergenerational knowledge. This collaboration lies at the heart of the project—linking craftsmanship, family, and artistic friendship.
Saye Sarr Legacy is a collective portrait, a monument of fabric and light. It tells of feminine strength, care, and dignity—and of how a contemporary visual language can grow from deep family roots. At the same time, it is a tribute to the craft of screen printing—as a cultural technique, an act of remembrance, and an artistic medium.
Dedicated to our mothers—for all they carry, give, and preserve.
Sarah Ly & Papa Babacar Gaye