As part of our #MARKYOURFINGERPRINT Campaign, we have selected and shortlisted artists, designers & creatives who we believe are the epitome of African excellence and creativity on the continent. Get to know a little about the artist below:
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CATEGORY: ART
ARTIST: Omar Victor Diop
COUNTRY: SENEGAL
Albert Badin (1747 or 1750 -1822), Omar Victor Diop, 2014
Senegalese artist Omar Victor Diop was born in Dakar in 1980 and since his early days, Diop developed an interest for Photography and Design, essentially as a means to capture the diversity of modern African societies and lifestyles.
With works ranging from his first conceptual project Fashion 2112, le Futur du Beau which was featured at the Pan African Exhibition of the African Biennale of Photography of 2011 in Bamako (Rencontres de Bamako) to his latest series entitled Diaspora, Diop’s work includes Fine Arts and Fashion Photography as well as Advertising Photography.
The artist who used to work in Corporate Communications, ended his career to dedicate to photography in 2012 where he now regularly showcases work which mixes photography with other forms of art, such as costume design, styling and creative writing. His series Studio des Vanité, is testament to this as Diop illustrates work which is his research between photography and design, with a strong influence of the historical African portraitists.
With his latest series entitled Diaspora, Diop challenges us to rethink our own ideas of history and gives answer to his ongoing, internal dialogue of who he is as artist and person. Diop’s portraits makes one think about our perception of history by highlighting notable Africans living in Europe between the fifteenth and nineteenth century. The integration of elements of football, weaves the links between past and present and question the position of African today.
A Morrocan Man, Omar Victor Diop, 2014
Angelo Soliman (1721 – 1796), Omar Victor Diop, 2014
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