Omar Victor Diop’s work includes fine art, fashion, and advertising photography. His fine art photography attempts to portray the diversity and beauty of contemporary societies and lifestyles in Africa. Ken Aicha Sy is from The Studio of Vanities: Staged Portraits of Africa’s Contemporary Urban Scene series, focusing on subjects who contribute to the richness of the urban community and culture. Each image is the result of a collaboration between the photographer and the subject. Ken Aicha Sy, a music label owner and blogger, is pictured in a pattern-rich environment—much like Malick Sidibé’s studio environment. Diop looks to Sidibé, not only for aesthetic inspiration, but also for the messages of empowerment that come along with Africans being photographed by other Africans.

Born in Dakar, Senegal, Omar Victor Diop was drawn to photography and design at a young age. Starting with a career in corporate communications, he quickly turned to photography in 2012 when his first conceptual project Fashion 2112, le Futur du Beau had great success at the Pan-African exhibition of the African Biennale of Photography in 2011 in Mali. Diop has shown primarily in Europe and Africa at institutions such as Maison de l’Afrique in Paris and Hôtel ONOMO in Dakar. Diop lives and works in Dakar.

From the exhibition: Africa Pop Studio (April 1 – April 23, 2017)