Issa Samb (also known as Joe Ouakam) was born in 1945 and died April 25, 2017 in Dakar. He was one of the founding members of the seminal Laboratoire Agit’Art in 1973 which was a collective of artists, writers, filmmakers, performance artists, and musicians. Samb was an internationally recognised artist known for his groundbreaking interdisciplinary work that encompasses sculpture, performance, painting and theatre. In 1996, He co-founded the collective TENQ – Village des Arts in Dakar. Samb was also the author of numerous plays, poems and essays. A retrospective of his work was held at the National Art Gallery, Dakar in 2010. His work was included in exhibitions such as documenta (13), Kassel, Germany (2012), the Biennale de l’Art Africain Contemporain, Dak’Art, Dakar (2008) and Seven Stories of Modern Art in Africa, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK (1995).