MansA, Maison des Mondes Africains

It all starts with the name : MansA.
Maison des Mondes Africains

To live up to the ambition of this innovative institution in France, we had to find a name and a visual identity that would illustrate all its meanings. A name that would clearly express its mission, and a logo that would place the stories of Africa and its diasporas at the heart of global dialogue.

MansA, the “House of African Worlds” (from the late Latin "mansio" meaning "house"), embodies this vision. The choice of MansA is a tribute to Mansa Musa (the king of kings in Bambara) of the 14th-century Mali Empire, whose itinerary took him across Africa to the Near East, while forging trade links with Europe.

It also evokes Basquiat's emblematic crown, rooted in popular culture.

MansA's crown symbolizes the reappropriation of an agentivity by an entire generation, paving the way for the creation of a new narrative and the production of ideas that will forge our archive of the present.

Client : Ministère de la Culture
Design/Art Direction : Jessy Kikabou
Agency : YARD