But when Senegalese photographer Omar Victor Diop
set out to recreate the provocative sequence for his latest project,
finding a bed of red roses proved difficult. Undeterred, Diop found the
solution by using a plant wall inside the hotel where the shoot was
taking place.
"The creative process of
this series itself is very similar to the way African contemporary
creation often takes place," says Diop. "We often have to tweak concepts
and styles from around the world and adapt them to our context, while
preserving their original feel."
That series is "Onomolliwood," a dazzling collection of images in which Diop and Antoine Tempe,
a Senegal-based French-American photographer, revisited several
Hollywood classics to give an African take on some of cinema's most
iconic moments.
The two artists merged
their passion for aesthetics and performance art to offer a collection
of striking images infused with flowing swirls of color, vivacious
textures and dynamic characters.
"I wanted to imagine what these movies would look like if they were conceived and shot in Africa," explains Diop.
Senegalese photographer Omar Victor Diop.
PHOTO: ANTOINE TEMPE
Completely self-taught,
the 33-year-old is a newcomer to Senegal's creative scene. He started
experimenting with cameras on the streets of Dakar in 2010, at a time
when he was still working in corporate communications for a
multinational.
But much to his surprise,
Diop's first conceptual project, the futuristic "Fashion 2112," was
selected the following year to be showcased at Bamako Encounters,
Africa's premier photo exhibition.
After that, Diop decided
to fully pursue his passion for photography. He quit his job last year
and quickly started building an eclectic body of work that spreads from
conceptual art to fashion photography and portraits.
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