'Some of my artworks feature secondary raw material. Ecology is particularly important in my work. In my country, we use to say “nature is aging” as we would say for men. Nature melts, dries, and sometimes resources are not sufficient." - Saïdou Dicko

 Saïdou Dicko (b. 1979 Burkina Faso; lives and works in Paris, France)  is a self-taught visual artist (photographer, videographer, installer and painter). At the age of five, Dicko, a Fulani Shepherd, learns to draw by collecting shadows of his sheep on the Sahel soils. Naturally, the shadow is present in all of his work. In 2005, he embarked on photography. Six months after his photographic debut, he presents his first exhibition in the 2006 Dakar Biennial Off, where he won a prize, the first in a long series.

 

Through painting, photography, video or installations, Dicko transforms the representation of forms giving life to visual phenomena, to physical and psychological events of light, uniting the two extreme values ​​that are at the heart of black and white contrast. . He finds pleasure in bringing together the opposites to talk to us about equality, union, maternal love, freedom, humanity ... Since then, his work has been presented at many international events (biennials, international fairs, exhibitions). In 2012, he co-founded the collective "Rendez-Vous d’Artistes" which is a nomad platform where artists of all kinds: curators, gallerists, art lovers, cultural journalists ... exchange. These exchanges sometimes lead to exhibition projects. Since 2013, he has been curator and scenographer, particularly in Morocco.

 

His artistic work continues to evolve thanks to his travels, his experience, his various inspirations and always his quest for a better world. His new series "The Shadowed People" is a reflection of all these years of work and research. He presents us with more and more poetic and poignant works which unveil him from day to day.

 

Selected Exhibitions

 

2021 - La Poésie du Lien, Afikaris gallery, Paris, France

2021 - Zone Franche, Institute of Islamic Cultures, Paris, France 1-54 New York, Online Art Fair, Afikaris Gallery
2021 - Art Paris Art Fair, Afikaris Gallery, Paris, France

2020 - Your Shadows, Afikaris Gallery, Paris, France

2019 - 1-54 London Art Fair, Loft Gallery, London, United Kingdom

2019 - Investec Cape Town, ARTCO Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

 

2018 - Photo Folies at the Menuiserie, Rodez, France

2018 - The Shadowed People, ARTCO gallery, Aachen, Germany

2014 - Le Voleur d’ombres, French institute of Roma, Roma, Italy

 

 

Selected Awards and Nominations

2016 - Award winner of "Wings of Africa" from Royal Air Maroc. Design of a Boeing 737 in collaboration with the artist Evans Mbugua

2014 - International selection at the 3rd edition of the Addis Foto Fest 2014, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia 2014 - International selection at the 6th edition of the ARTE video Night, Paris, France
2014 - International selection at the 2
nd edition of the Cassablanca Biennale, Casablanca, Marocco 2014 - International selection at the Gwanza Month of photography, Moonwalking, Harare, Zimbabwe

2009 - International selection at the 8th African Biennale of Photography, les Rencontres de Bamako 9, Bamako, Mali