Saïdou Dicko

Saïdou Dicko (Burkina Faso, 1979) is a self-taught multimedia artist who started drawing from an early age, when he was still a shepherd in the Shahel, by outlining the shadows of animals and plants on the ground. His work in the photographic series “Shadowed People” assembles different local patterns, settings, and objects from his homeland culture, inserting human figures as shadows in heavy black paint. In this pictorial exercise, Dicko provides with a universal perspective on matters of equality, conciliation, freedom, identity, or humanity with a unique poetry that also entails some whimsical mystery. The works are also marked with a detail in red and black that hints to the traditional Fula fabrics’ patterns. Saïdou Dicko has participated in numerous exhibitions, biennials and art fairs in France, Morocco, Germany, Brazil, USA, Portugal, Mali, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Italy, Senegal, among others.

'THE SHADOWED PEOPLE'
'I am the prince who reigns in joy, by sharing and in mutual help, in spite of the obstacles of the daily life. My throne is on an oil field, my people do not have access to it, and my kingdom is on an untapped farmland. I am sure and I hope (Hope) that our children will cultivate all our fields and will share the crops in the night under the trees and the sunlight.

I am the queen mother hen who was plucked by my princes and princesses. Hope (Hope) with all my heart that they will fly with my feathers.

I am the child, happy and funny, surrounded by adults haunted by their glorious past and concerned about their future, while I take advantage of the present, and I hope (Hope) to share their glorious future ...

+ With an angel face

I am the capricious child With an angel face. My days are punctuated by tears, broken joys and unpaid claims. I hope that when I grow up I will look like my little sister of 2 years old who is funny happy sharing and autonomous ...

I am a human being transformed into a shadow by an artist who has had the chance to travel to several countries. He made photos in which he integrates my photos of everyday life or not. He turns my body into shadows in his photo studio which is in perpetual motion. I hope (Hope) that I will also have the chance to travel as much as my shadow.

I am the shadow that navigates a virtual world that has become so real that my reality has become virtual.

We are in a world filled with shadows surrounded by a few people. We hope that the majority of our shadows will become the people we were.

Why did we become spectators of drama that we could have avoided? Why are we so alone in the middle of all?

I’m just a shadow, your shadow, their shadows, my shadow.'

Saïdou Dicko