Sarraounia Mpaka

Biography

Sarraounia Mpaka is the creator and designer of the ethnic jewellery brand Adinkras Jewels, founded in 2017.

Of Senegalese-Gabonese background, she is a great fan of all things linked to the arts (music, craft, graphic design, cinema, etc.) and an unconditional lover of Africa. After obtaining her baccalaureate in Libreville, Gabon, she came to Senegal where she studied interior design for three years at a school of architecture.

She discovered the existence of an African alphabet — a book written and illustrated by writer and graphic designer Saki Mafundikwa — and the existence of particular symbols that not only have a striking visual power but also carry an entire history linked to royalty in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire: the Adinkras. From there came her idea of drawing on these symbols to create a jewellery brand.