Reclaiming Sierra Leone’s Art Heritage: Introducing Joseph Jalloh

Joseph Emmanuel Jalloh, 26, is breathing new life into Sierra Leone’s fading carving culture through his innovative art, which blends surrealism and Afro expressionism with a deep reverence for tradition. 

As a multifaceted artist, model, and tattoo artist, Jalloh’s work highlights Black history, experiences, and aesthetics, bridging the gap between tradition and modernity. Jalloh’s creative expression spans drawing, painting, mural design, and custom tattoos, each medium serving as a vessel for storytelling. 

His work blends elements of surrealism and Afro-expressionism, often rooted in themes of Black history, lived experiences, and cultural aesthetics. With a brush in one hand and a vision in the other, Jalloh is rewriting the narrative of what it means to be an artist in a country rediscovering its soul.

Born and raised in The Gambia to Sierra Leonean parents, Jalloh’s childhood was shaped by a blend of cultures. His earliest artistic influence came from a deeply personal source—his father, a French teacher. 

“He used to draw diagrams to teach anatomy in French, and I’d help him with the illustrations,” he said. 

“That was my first connection to drawing realizing I could communicate through images.”

Joseph Emmanuel Jalloh

Art with a Purpose: Identity, Culture, and Reflection 

After years in The Gambia, Jalloh returned to Sierra Leone in 2016 to pursue his tertiary education. What greeted him was a land filled with contrast—beautiful, energetic, but also fragmented. 

“Everything was new and fascinating,” he said. “The landscape, the natural scenery, the energy of the people—it all felt like a dream. But I could also feel a disconnect from our heritage.”

A reflection of our African heritage

That sense of cultural dislocation soon became his inspiration. For Jalloh, the cultural dislocation he speaks of isn’t simply about the influence of Western art replacing local traditions. It runs much deeper. 

“It’s about a broken connection,” he said. 

“At some point in our history, the chain of knowledge transfer between elders and the younger generation was severed. That disconnect led to the fading of essential cultural values.”

He points to Sierra Leone’s rich artistic heritage—skilled artisans, blacksmiths, and creators whose legacy lives on in artifacts like the Nomoli figures and ancient carvings. 

“If that heritage had been preserved through cultural education and consistent community sensitization, our sense of identity would be stronger today. But instead, we slowly drifted away from our roots, and in doing so, we adopted external cultures that further distanced us from who we truly are.”

A tattoo design done by Jalloh

It is this deep sense of loss and the desire to heal it that fuels Jalloh’s artistic mission. 

Through every mural, tattoo, and canvas, he is not just creating art—he is stitching together pieces of a cultural fabric that once held communities together.

Jalloh’s artwork—murals, paintings, drawings, and custom tattoo designs—serves as a visual reclamation of Sierra Leone’s artistic legacy. 

“My art is my way of reawakening and connecting the spirit.”

A mural design done by Jalloh

Struggles of a Creative

Every brushstroke in his murals, every line in his tattoos, is rooted in that vision. His pieces often reflect the spiritual, the historical, and the emotional. They remind Sierra Leoneans of who they were, who they are, and who they can become. And through modeling, Jalloh further extends that creative expression—using the human form as canvas, the camera as collaborator.

Yet his journey has been far from easy.

 “Being a creative artist in Sierra Leone is a suicide mission,” Jalloh said. 

“But at the end of the day, you have to take risks to get to where you want to be.”

Despite the challenges, Jalloh remains committed. His artistry is not just about aesthetics—it’s about identity, legacy, and resilience. In a society rediscovering its roots, Joseph Emmanuel Jalloh is one of the brave few planting seeds for the future.

Get more of Joseph Jalloh’s story here: https://youtu.be/antrrLzFFvM

A piece done by Jalloh inspired by the different ethnic groups in Sierra Leone

One of Jalloh’s art work, inspired by his spirit as an artist