The Amazons of Dahomey were an all-female military regiment founded in the 16th century in the Kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Republic of Benin). By the end of the 19th century, they comprised a third of the nation’s army and were thought to be more valuable on the battle field than their male counterparts. French artist YZ, whose portrait-based work frequently taps into civil rights themes, recently paid homage to these female warriors with her public art series in Senegal, “Amazon.” Painted on the sides of houses in a Senegalese village, the monochromatic portraits symbolize a story of female strength often left untold.
