Omar Victor Diop

In his staged, theatrical photographs, Omar Victor Diop dignifies Black historical narratives and traces diasporic legacies. In his acclaimed “Diaspora” series from 2014, for example, Diop cast himself as the often forgotten Africans who began showing up in European portraiture in the 15th century. Tying the past to the present, his compositions united contemporary soccer references with historical poses and costumes. In Diop’s “Liberty” series, which he initiated in 2016, the artist and his collaborators recreate moments of Black resistance from across the diaspora. Born in Senegal, Diop first rose to prominence in 2011, when he was invited to show at Bamako Encounters, the African Biennale of Photography, in Mali. He has exhibited at the Vitra Design Museum, Guggenheim Bilbao, Fondation Louis Vuitton, and Brooklyn Museum, among other institutions. Diop is also a successful editorial photographer who has shot for Madame Figaro and fashion brand Lancel.