Shadow Inspired Photography and Painting by Saidou Dicko

Saïdou is an artist who self-taught (photography, videography, installing and painting). He was born in Burkina Faso in 1979 and now calls Paris home, where he also works. Saïdou Dicko's art has always been influenced by shadows.

Saïdou was a Fulani shepherd while growing, he learnt to draw at the age of five by gathering shadows of his sheep on Sahelian soils. He used to draw the shapes of the shrubs, animals, and rivers he came across. Naturally, the shadow appears in every piece he creates. In his paintings, there is always an across sign on the top of his characters' heads, which evokes his youth. It's a tribute to a Peulh tradition pattern. It's a way for him to honor beauty while still representing his characters' humanity. He transforms them to shadows to this extent.

He began photographing in 2005, and six months later, he exhibits his first work at the 2006 Dakar Biennial Off, where he earned a prize, the first in a long sequence of exhibitions. Saïdou transforms the representation of forms by bringing life to visual phenomena, physical and psychological light events, and also connecting the two extreme values that are at the heart of the black and white contrast through painting, photography, video, and installations. With his art, he enjoys bringing opposites together to speak to us about equality, togetherness, maternal love, freedom, and humanity.

In his series of painted photographs, The Shadowed People; a unique pieces; a combination of different cliches, he covers his subject with black paint. In that way, the beings give their place to their shadow, providing a universal scope to the work. The life experiences of Saidou Dicko between Paris and Burkina Faso, his native culture and his travels, leave their mark on his work with poetry as well as mystery.

Saidou's work has been featured at numerous events in recognition of his unique style (biennials, international fairs, exhibitions). He co-founded the collective "Rendez-Vous d'Artistes" in 2012, which is a nomad platform where curators, gallerists, art fans, and cultural journalists share ideas. These exchanges occasionally result in exhibition initiatives. He has worked as a curator and scenographer since 2013, primarily in Morocco.