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Wednesday, May 18, 2016

DanceAfrica Visual Art: Omar Victor Diop's The Studio of Vanities

by Holly Shen

While DanceAfrica is anchored in the tradition of dance, the festival is also an opportunity to celebrate other vital components of African culture and diaspora, including visual art. In 2014, BAM Visual Art began an initiative to bring fine art into the DanceAfrica mix, inviting artists to create a new piece or exhibit work during the festival weekend. This year, BAM is thrilled to present a series of four recent photographs by Senegalese artist Omar Victor Diop.

Aminata, 2013, from the Le Studio des Vanités series, 35.4 x 35.4 inches, pigment inkjet print
© Omar Victor Diop / Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris.


Initially working in commercial photography and fashion, Diop established himself as a fine artist with his first major series, Project Diaspora, a collection of striking self-portraits that explore personal identity and collective narrative in African history Diop’s latest project, The Studio of Vanities, is an attempt “to portray a generation which endeavors to showcase the African urban universe and its blossoming art production and exchanges.” Four portraits from The Studio of Vanities series will be on view in the Dorothy Levitt Lobby of BAM's Peter Jay Sharp Building (30 Lafayette Avenue) during this year’s festival.

Sashakara, 2016, from the Le Studio des Vanités series, 35.4 x 23.6 inches, pigment inkjet print
© Omar Victor Diop / Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris.
These youths seem confident, yet relaxed against the vibrant textile patterns that fill each backdrop. The men and women are often depicted solo, sometimes in pairs, dressed in a range of options—from traditional African kaftans to contemporary ensembles that allude not only to Diop’s background in fashion but also to the sartorial influences between West Africa and the US. The decorative motifs in the background textiles compliment and highlight the outfits of each subject, who adopt gestures of both classical portraits and contemporary poses.

Art Comes First, 2016, from the Le Studio des Vanités series, 35.4 x 35.4 inches, pigment inkjet print
© Omar Victor Diop / Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris.

While clearly poised or staged by Diop, the individuals also appear in control, signaling an exchange between artist and sitter. They are engaged collaborators, not passive subjects. These portraits challenge stereotypes of contemporary African youth, evidencing a new and burgeoning creative class in Africa. For the African Diaspora community at BAM, they are a colorful representation of the traditions, old and new, that DanceAfrica celebrates each year.

Oumy Ndour, 2015, from the Le Studio des Vanités series, 35.4 x 23.6 inches , pigment inkjet print,
© Omar Victor Diop / Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris.

Holly Shen is the Curator of Visual Arts at BAM

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