In one of his famous self-portraits, Omar Victor Diop, a Senegalese photographer and artist, wears a three-piece suit and a flamboyant paisley bow tie and prepares to blow a yellow plastic whistle. The elaborately staged photo commemorates Frederick Douglass, the once-fugitive slave who rose to become a leading abolitionist, activist, writer and speaker in the 19th century, as well as the first African American nominated for the office of Vice President of the United States.

Diop is no stranger to depicting the pain and hopes of black people around the world. He has done this throughout his entire body of work, which incorporates historical references and costumes emphasized the crucial role of black and African personalities in world history, celebrated dignity African migrants and refugees, woven together the history of black protests from the Selma March to the Soweto uprising in South Africa and examined the effects climate change in Africa and the global south.

Through his bold images, Diop explores the interplay between African and diasporic experiences by linking past and present.

“I am fascinated and amazed at how Africa is still present in everything an African American would do; They don’t even realize it,” said Diop, who lives and works in Dakar and Paris. “Sometimes you watch an African-American woman on reality TV and you just happen to look at her sisters and aunts because of the expressions — it’s translated and said in English, but she could be in Dakar and speaking Wolof.”

Omar Victor Diop

In a 2015 self-portrait (above) from Diop’s Project Diaspora series, the artist emulates Frederick Douglass, the most photographed man of his time. Douglass was responsible for over 160 portraits, including an 1855 daguerreotype (below), to challenge negative portrayals of African Americans.

Cultural Archive/Alamy

In a 2015 self-portrait (above) from Diop’s Project Diaspora series, the artist emulates Frederick Douglass, the most photographed man of his time. Douglass was responsible for over 160 portraits, including an 1855 daguerreotype (below), to challenge negative portrayals of African Americans.

Diop is interested in creating connection and community through his work, while using history to bridge the experiences of people of African descent. By highlighting figures like Douglass or events like the Women’s War in Nigeria, he hoped not only to spark discussion within the coming generation, but also to deepen the relationship between Africa and the diaspora.

“There are so many inspiring stories that can resonate greatly on the continent and vice versa,” he said. “I think there is an absolute need for more interaction. We don’t even know each other enough.”

Diop was born in Dakar in 1980 to an accountant father and a lawyer mother. He became a full-time artist over a decade ago after years studying finance in Senegal and France and working in corporate communications in Dakar, Nairobi and Lagos.

The self-taught Diop, whose tableaux have been exhibited around the world, builds on the rich tradition of West African studio portraiture practiced by artists such as Mama Casset (Senegal), Malick Sidibé (Mali) and Samuel Fosso (Nigeria). But his work is not bound by the traditions of studio photography: as he undertakes a project, Diop obsessively reads about his subjects, talks to historians, and even tries to study the fashion choices of his subjects, such as the priest Dr. Martin Luther, to imitate King Jr.’s suits or Trayvon Martin’s hooded sweatshirt.

“For me, the imagery of fashion, the language of fashion is a tool to penetrate the thoughts of the viewer,” he said. “It’s about creating an image that is very attractive to camouflage the heavy subjects that I bring with me. And it’s also a way for me to celebrate the memories I bring with me.”

At the beginning of October, Diop announced a new project called “To be there“, which examines the place of race and identity in America in the years following World War II.

Diop also plans to produce educational materials, including books and games, designed to engage young African and diasporic audiences on topics such as art and climate change. He hopes to show how their stories of struggle and success are interconnected across centuries and continents.

“I firmly believe that there is a spirit of resilience and excellence in Africa, despite everything that has happened to us,” he said.