Staging

This pictures are inspired by myths, traditional cults, and popular beliefs of West Africa. My intention is to reveal the richness of the invisible world that overlays reality in this region — to bring to light these mythical and imaginary parallel universes.
It is a collection of portraits depicting deities, mythical beings, and imaginary ceremonies. Although I strive to preserve a documentary dimension in my images, each is a staged composition. The costumes and accessories are specially created at my request by local artists and craftspeople. I collaborate closely with people directly connected to the stories I wish to portray — often Vodou followers or members of traditional mask societies.
With the help of Bozo fishermen, we represented the arrival on Earth of the primordial ancestor of the Dogon people — Nommo. According to legend, when Nommo descended, the sun began to move across the sky, and the first rains fertilized the once barren land of the pale fox. The image of Nommo standing in the primordial pond symbolizes the beginning of life on Earth.
Tchakatou is a terrible curse from Benin. In my series, it is embodied by a mysterious man wearing a jacket covered with thorns — a unique creation made in collaboration with a Vodou priest.
Aziza is a magical, elusive creature said to inhabit the forests of West Africa. She knows the secrets of nature, which she sometimes shares with humans. In the photograph, she is portrayed in an unfinished, abandoned house where nature is reclaiming its space — as if a vital force were rising from her roots.
Ayida Wedo represents the feminine aspect of Dan, the rainbow serpent who upholds the Earth and keeps it from disintegrating — a symbol of infinity and abundance. Here, she appears in a room that might be her own, where a few drops of rain seem to fall.
In Bozo 01, two Bozo fishermen hold a large wooden fish over the surface of a lake. This scene evokes an imaginary ceremony — an offering to Faro, the water deity who lives beneath the waves with his wife and children. Faro is the guardian of all aquatic life; fishermen must respect him and make offerings for the right to live and fish upon the waters.