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You kind of take it for granted.
It stands to reason that Diop doesnt get back here as often as he would like.
Though he photographs himself, these arent self-portraits.
For him these characters are merely using his body.
Diop glances back at the ocean.
Yes, I need to come here more often.
As recently as 2010 you were working in finance and corporate communications.
Back then, did you think youd ever find your footing in the art world?
I wasnt sure it would happen at all.
It started with a sabbatical [from my job].
It was an artistic adventure.
But it kept growing and Im thankful for that.
Finance is kind of a good son profession.
Was photography something that you were doing during your corporate life as a hobby?
My main trigger is frustration.
It has always been.
Seeing something, being attracted to it, and realizing that it might be too late.
Oh, I wish, but I cant.
Who said I cant?
Thats how it started with photography.
In 2010 I bought a camera.
It was a very basic Nikon camera.
I had no studio equipment.
I just had this tiny camera but it gave me enough megapixels to have something that could be printed.
The first time I saw my work printed it was at an exhibition and I was blown away.
At theRencontres de Bamako[in 2011, also known as the Bamako Biennale].
It was my first exhibition ever, ever.
I did it at least.
But I forgot about it, then months after I received the email.
I thought it was a bad joke from one of my friends, but it was real.
They took care of all the logistics and the printing.
Basically, I arrived one hour before the opening and I saw the pictures.
That was a moment.
In this particular case of photography, it is way beyond what I expected.
Youve had a steady rise, internationally.
A rise that many artists, in general would appreciate, let alone a self-taught artist.
That phrase always seems like a bad word when you hear it in the art world.
Have you run across any of that?
For me its a blessing.
They always feel that need to reference something or someone.
I dont have that problem.
Maybe because I am early in my practice, but I also dont feel the need to be categorized.
I dont shy away from certain parts of photography that many people look down on.
If you tell me I am a fashion photographer, Im not offended.
I see that as a compliment.
I have a lot of respect for fashion photographers.
It tells a story.
It documents the present time and gives a snapshot of what the future is.
How can you not have respect for that?
Absolutely, absolutely, and it wont stop with these projects.
We have great Africans and black men and women all around the world.
TheLupitas(Nyongo),Chimamandas (Ngozi Adichie).
Actually, this started a long time ago.
Weve been pretty dope for a while.
Thats what Im trying to bring to the table.
It is something that is ours.
That recognition is something that we deserve.
Its not me making up things so that we have something to be proud of.
Its based on facts.
When people come across my work they always will go and attempt to discover more.
I just give snapshots.
Even though it is based on history and facts, these should not be considered as historical documents.
It is my interpretation but it can be a gateway to discoveries.
… at black and brown players even though the teams are mostly comprised of black and brown people.
It just has changed.
It has been tamed, its now shameful, but its still happening.
And on the rise again.
It seems we are engaging in cultural wars …
Yeah.
Do you consider the foreign gaze when approaching your process?
I attempt to consider the universal gaze.
Im not doing art for black people.
Im doing art about black people that everyone can connect with, or at least have an interaction with.
For my show in London, there were several public engagements.
I always expect the black and cool crowd, but actually it was so diverse.
People of all ages and backgrounds.
For me, that was a moment that I realized, This whole diversity thing is actually happening.
Of course, the struggle is not over.
I was positively surprised.
Or do you even think about it?
You know, I dont think its a moment.
Realizing that this black or African creativity has always been there, has always existed.
Which is why many Western museums have vast collections of African Art.
We have not produced more art than before.
There are not more African artists than before.
No, I dont think so.
Now, they have to take it seriously and appreciate it.
I dont think it is a trend.
Its just that the art market has grown.
Maybe in a slower pace, but just like in the fashion industry, things are progressing.
People have been fighting for this so its now happening.
There is more diversity.
Art and fashion, its just the same.
I dont think, on the creative side, anything is new.
How do you feel when people attempt to compare you to other African artist from the past?
Thats a complicated question and my answer changes every day.
Through the years it has evolved.
In the beginning I used to hate when people would compare me toMalick SidibeorSeydou Keita.
And you know what, I was right because I hadnt incorporated their heritage into my work.
What I was doing was really different.
I was like, This is B.S.
Id take it as a compliment if it were true.
Its just you simplifying the whole situation.
So to me it was a contribution, then I was comfortable (with the comparison).
That was the purpose.
I think people get it.
With projects like Diaspora and Liberty I dont get the comparisons as much anymore.
Of course, there is an influence, but its not the core of what I do.
You often appear in your work, but you dont consider it self-portraiture.
Honestly, when I look at the pictures, which I am in, I dont see myself.
I see those characters.
But I dont see these as self-portraits.
Its not me playing a role.
Its more me lending my body to a spirit.
Because spirits live in a vacuum.
Maybe it comes also from my African heritage.
So you are the vessel?
That is exactly how I conceived these works.
So for me, self-portrait is reductive.
Its a lot more than that.
At least to me.
When I was shooting each and every one of these portraits, I was all alone in the studio.
Something that is here, that is latent.
Something that just needs to be given a vessel for the time.
So I could have a team around me.
In general, I always work alone.
I suppose space and time is also about energy.
Each time I come to Dakar, I see a great deal of social and commercial development.
Do you feel the artist community has been growing with it?
Honestly, in the last couple of years Ive been really withdrawn from the art scene here.
Not by choice, just because Ive been traveling so much.
Id have a problem making an assessment, because I havent really been involved.
I dont need to represent us, among us.
We know who we are.
My battle is out there.
Thats where this needs to be told because thats where people dont know it.
