Aby Golden Lady B

Your work spans photography, poetry, and theater. How do you decide which medium to use when telling a story?

Honestly, the medium chooses me, since I encountered New York. I chose poetry and theater at age 12 after winning my first poetry contest and discovering the “Théatre du Soleil”, led by Ariane Mnouchkine. I spent all my free time there until I was 20, when I wrote and directed my first play in Paris.

Photography, however, was a gift from New Yorkers themselves, who started calling me “Golden Lady B.” It was the first city I arrived in without friends or family. Photography was just a hobby, something I allowed myself. But somehow, this city has magic. In just three years, I became a listed photographer, alongside idols like Basquiat or William Klein. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. On my last trip, I arrived in New York with just 10 dollars in my pocket, beat that, Madonna! So yes, between struggles and red carpets, the medium finds me. I simply welcome each one as a gift… with a fair share of challenges! My projects are self-funded through crowdfunding campaigns and supported by my amazing network.

Aby Golden Lady B | New York – Freedom Now

You’ve described your work as a “living archive.” What does that mean to you artistically and politically?

We’re older than our elders. Amadou Hampâté Bâ once said, “When an old man dies, a library burns,” but when a child dies, it’s humanity itself that is dying.

We have to remember, but also a duty to reimagine. I see my work as an archive of resilience and transformation, made of real lives, daily beauty, and the things we forget to honour.

Aby Golden Lady B | New York – Self Reflection

How did your multicultural background—Franco-Senegalese identity and New York experience—shape your artistic vision?

Honestly? In all three places, it’s a struggle for artists! But in all three places, passion wins.

Being an artist means bringing magic into your life. Yes, it takes energy, but it’s worth it.

Art and theatre are powerful alternatives to war and darkness. Today, we often confuse artists with influencers. But they don’t serve the same purpose. Influencers often reproduce a toxic model, based on appearances, easy dopamine, and a culture of consumption.  True artists are seekers. They reflect, disturb, heal, and transform. In France, Senegal, and even New York, more than 80% of artists cannot make a living from their art. Yet we continue to create. Because we don’t do it to profit from the world, but to bring another sound to life. The day we invest more in art than in weapons will be the day we can truly say we live in peace. My artistic vision is to inspire others to tap into their creative side. Creativity leads to empathy, resilience, and social harmony.

Aby Golden Lady B | New York – Together Forever

In your photographs, the everyday becomes poetic. What draws you to these quiet, often unnoticed moments of city life?

Because those moments tell stories. stories that are just beginning or about to end, depending on the viewer’s imagination.

That’s where inspiration is born. Being inspired means wanting to go further.

When someone asks to take a photo of my book, “New York Poets”, I say yes with joy.

That’s why I made it: To inspire others. We all have an artist inside waiting to be awakened. Mixing universal poetry with my New York snapshots makes that awakening possible.

Aby Golden Lady B | New York – Your Gaze

Your return to the theatre after 28 years is powerful. What inspired your upcoming play at the Brooklyn Short Play Festival?

It’s an unexpected encounter between my past and my future. A gift from heaven, history repeating itself, but in a positive way for once. Being part of New York theatre history is a great honour. At university, the Living Theatre was one of my research topics. The play I am currently writing is called “Burn, baby, burn” and will focus on suffering at work and New Yorkers, of course. I owe them that much!

The Brooklyn Short Play Festival is a project founded by Kate Huston and Casey Speer. We are four playwrights and directors, with Molly Stern and me, embarking on a wonderful creative marathon. We each started writing our plays in early June and met regularly to exchange ideas and inspire each other around the theme’s festival “Take this to your grave”. On August 20th, we will open auditions to begin rehearsals in September. You can join us on October 18th and 19th at RATS NYC, a theatre located in the heart of Dumbo, where the audience will participate in their marathon as they watch our four plays in one evening.  Twenty-eight years ago, I was alone; now there are four of us. It’s like finding your first love again, except that it seems to have multiplied, ahah.

Aby Golden Lady B | New York – Broadway | 2022

You often collaborate with collectives. What does shared creation mean in your process?

I love working in teams. I don’t like loneliness, and I make friends in under five minutes! Being part of a collective boosts your confidence and creativity. It helps you grow without needing fame.

I became a listed artist in 3 years thanks to my participation in global collectives like Expo Metro and Artboxy. I’ve exhibited worldwide with minimal investment thanks to this spirit of mutual support.

As a writer, I’ve contributed to over 7 anthologies published across the globe, from New York with Poetry Soup or Rencontre des auteurs francophones, to Bombay with Poet’s Choice.  Collectives create momentum and networks, provide funding, training, and solidarity. And let’s not forget: they help us celebrate the wins together.

But working with collectives isn’t just a creative choice, it’s a political act too.  It’s a way to propose another kind of society, one that doesn’t revolve around influence and domination, but mutual care and shared strength.

Aby Golden Lady B | New York – Purple gaze | 2023

From the UN talk to Art Basel, 2025 has been a landmark year. How do you see your voice evolving in the global art scene?

A voice for peace, above all. One of my collectives, Les Guérrières de la Paix, is nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. That’s how my 2025 year began ahah.

The recognition of my writing and photography on an international scale motivates me to amplify the voices of those we don’t hear enough, those who struggle every day, yet still find ways to care for others.

With the support of Art Basel New York, this will allow me to exhibit my photography and poetry at other Art Basel events in the US and around the world. I have also just signed a partnership with Singulart, which also supports emerging artists.

If the stars keep nudging us forward, I like to think we’ll still be here in a century. Art, and especially theater, is a form of resistance. We might be the last of a generation of engaged artists… or the first in a long, necessary revival.