Omar Victor Diop

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Omar Victor Diop
Born1980 (age 4445)
Dakar, Senegal
NationalitySenegalese
Known forPhotography

Omar Victor Diop (born 1980) is a Senegalese photographer whose conceptually-rich work is exhibited around the world. [1] [2] He lives and works in Dakar and Paris, France.

Contents

Early life and education

Omar Victor Diop was born in Dakar, Senegal. He is the youngest of six children, and his parents valued education as a means to pursue opportunity. He and his siblings attended optimal schooling from a young age, which resulted in a career in finance and corporate communications. [2] [3] He studied at the ESCE International Business School in Paris before working at Ernst & Young as an analyst, and then with British American Tobacco in the African international relations department. [4]

After a year-long sabbatical from corporate life, Diop made a shift towards a career in the arts in 2010. [3] His debut project, Fashion 2112, The Future of Beauty, was a series of photographs which was shown at the Pan African Exhibition of the African Biennale of Photography in Bamako, Mali (2011). The success and recognition of this project resulted in Diop's attention to photography exclusively.

Work

Though Diop began his career in communications, by 2010 he had moved into the highly active territory of fashion photography. Prior to this, he had experimented in landscape photography, and later worked for fashion lines Bantu Wax and Adama Paris, among others. By September 2013, he had produced 70 percent of the commercial advertising market in Dakar. [4] While he continues to work in the commercial field, his studio practice lies in the style of Fine Art portraiture; often self-portraiture. Diop uses his own body to restage historical events, encouraging "the viewer to question the narrative of history that we are traditionally taught and see Black people themselves as the agents of change." [5] He produces work in series, and, much like Malian photographer Seydou Keïta, continues in the tradition of African studio photography. [6]

Series

Diop has released numerous series, including:

Exhibitions

Diop has participated in numerous exhibitions internationally, including:

Group exhibitions

Source: [12]

Solo exhibitions

Source: [12]

Collections

Diop's work is held in a number of public collections, including:

Art market

Omar Victor Diop is represented by the MAGNIN-A [18] gallery in Paris, and by Elaine Harris with AfricaLive Productions. [19]

Similar artists

References

  1. "Omar Victor Diop". Jenkins Johnson Gallery. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 “Through the Lens.” Films Media Group, 2018, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=102633&xtid=187222. CNN. Accessed 1 Nov. 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Senegalese Photographer Omar Victor Diop's Regal Portraiture". Jenkins Johnson Gallery. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  4. 1 2 Buggenhagen, Beth (May 2017). "If You Were in My Sneakers: Migration Stories in the Studio Photography of Dakar‐Based Omar Victor Diop". AnthroSource. 33: 38–50. doi:10.1111/var.12120. hdl: 2022/21807 .
  5. Mark Sealy. "Omar Victor Diop: Black Subjects in the Frame". HENI Talks.
  6. 1 2 "Omar Victor Diop". Foundation Louis Vuitton. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  7. Zhang, Michael (17 September 2015). "Photographers Give Iconic Hollywood Movie Shots an African Remake". PetaPixel. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  8. O’Hagan, Sean (11 July 2015). "Omar Victor Diop: 'I want to reinvent the heritage of African studio photography'". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  9. "Omar Victor Diop Captures the Beauty and Resilience of Refugees in 'Hopeful Blues'". ELLE. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  10. "Une exposition de photos présente les réfugiés sous un nouveau jour - Le HCR collabore avec la Fondation Annenberg". UNHCR Afrique. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  11. "Striking images of black struggle". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Omar Victor Diop- Exhibitions". MAGNIN-A. 1 November 2019. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021.
  13. "Radical Revisionists: Contemporary African Artists Confronting Past and Present". Moody Center for The Arts. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  14. "Exhibit: The Luminous Worlds of Omar Victor Diop". Martha's Vineyard Calendar. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  15. "El Moro". Brooklyn Museum. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  16. "Ken". Tang Museum. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  17. "Juan de Pareja and Ayuba Suleiman Diallo". Block Museum of Art. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  18. "Omar Victor Diop - Biography". MAGNIN-A. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  19. "omar victor diop – elaine harris productions" (in French). Retrieved 18 February 2024.