These incredible photographs by Omar Victor Diop, a Senegalese photographer, were brought to my attention by a twitter follower. This series, entitled Project Diaspora, was inspired by both Diop’s sense of isolation during an artist residency in Europe, and then subsequent wonder upon discovering the massive academic collection, Image of the Black In Western Art. From the New York Times:
“As a Francophone African,” he said, “I had never heard of these individuals.”
He has since made up for that oversight, producing “Project Diaspora,” a set of 12 images Mr. Diop adapted from artworks created in Europe from the 15th to the 19th centuries. They represent outstanding individuals who lived in Europe and illustrate the historical depth of the ties that have linked the Western world to the African continent.
In each image, Mr. Diop poses as the person in the original engraving, painting or sculpture. “I enjoy the idea that, contrary to the conventional self-portrait, I am just an accessory,” he said during a Skype interview. “My goal is to bear witness to the contribution of Africans to universal civilization.”
I’ve made the imposition here to include some of the original artworks beside a few of the photographs from the series, a testament to both the accuracy of the recreations, and well as to underscore the symbolism of Diop’s interpretations.
You can read about each artwork and individual that inspired these works at the New York Times article also linked above, at Diop’s online gallery for Project Diaspora, or learn more about individuals like Don Miguel De Castro, ambassador from Kongo to Dutch Brazil here at Medievalpoc.