Burkina Faso graffiti artist Ousmane Guigma, known as Manoos, won second place in Russia's "Honest Look" award for best work on international cultural partnership with Russia.
Manoos, whose work frequently appears in Ouagadougou, uses his art to denounce imperialism and promote messages of peace, solidarity, and resilience.
"We also try to pay tribute to people who fought for freedom," the Pan-Africanist told Sputnik Africa. "If you don't do politics, politics will do you."
The artist has come to Russia for the first time. "I've been dreaming for a while to really get a taste of the country of Vladimir Putin and Gorbachev, and thank God it's a reality today."
"For a while now, we've had Russia as our first partner," the graffiti artist pointed out.
For him, "it's a sincere and honest winning partnership," especially in the fight against terrorism.
"We can also see infrastructures being built thanks to Russian-Burkinian cooperation. What has already been done is promising," says Ousmane Guigma.