In one of his famed self-portraits, Omar Victor Diop, a Senegalese photographer and artist, wears a three-piece suit and an extravagant paisley bow tie, preparing to blow a yellow, plastic whistle. The elaborately staged photograph evokes the memory of Frederick Douglass, the one-time fugitive slave who in the 19th century rose to become a leading abolitionist, activist, writer and orator, as well as the first African American to be nominated for vice president of the United States.
Diop is no stranger to portraying the aches and hopes of Black people across the world. Throughout his oeuvre, which incorporates historical references and costumes, he has highlighted the vital role of Black and African figures in world history, celebrated the dignity of African migrants and refugees, weaved together the history of Black protests from the Selma march to the Soweto uprising in South Africa, and examined the impact of climate change on Africa and the Global South.
Through his bold images, Diop examines the interplay between African and diasporic experiences by knitting together the past and present.
“I am fascinated and surprised about how Africa is still present in everything an African American would do; they don’t even realize it,” said Diop, who lives and works in Dakar and Paris. “Sometimes you look at an African American in reality TV and you happen to be looking at your sisters and your aunts because of the expressions — it’s translated and said in English, but she could be in Dakar, speaking Wolof.”
Omar Victor Diop
In a 2015 self-portrait (top), from Diop’s series “Project Diaspora,” the artist emulates Frederick Douglass, who was the most photographed man of his era. Douglass sat for over 160 portraits, including a daguerreotype circa 1855 (bottom), to challenge negative representations of African Americans.
Cultural Archive/Alamy
In a 2015 self-portrait (top), from Diop’s series “Project Diaspora,” the artist emulates Frederick Douglass, who was the most photographed man of his era. Douglass sat for over 160 portraits, including a daguerreotype circa 1855 (bottom), to challenge negative representations of African Americans.
Diop is interested in creating connection and community through his work, while also using history to bridge the experiences of people of African descent. By highlighting figures like Douglass or events such as the Women’s War in Nigeria, he said, he hoped to not only kickstart a conversation within the upcoming generation but also deepen the relationship between Africa and the diaspora.
“There are so many inspiring stories that can have significant resonance on the continent and vice versa,” he said. “I think that there is an absolute need for more interaction. We don’t even know each other enough.”
Diop was born in Dakar in 1980 to a father who is a chartered accountant and a mother who is a lawyer. He became a full-time artist over a decade ago, after years of…
2023-11-16 07:55:23
Link from www.nytimes.com