Omar Victor Diop's new project "Studio of Vanities" profiles the talent behind Senegal's most prominent artists.
SENEGAL - A photographer is promoting the country&39;s most prominent artists.
Omar Victor Diop&39;s new project "Studio of Vanities" profiles the talent behind the work.
By doing so, he hopes to project a different image of his country.
Diop wants recognition for Dakar&39;s creative community and is profiling artists -- ranging from fashion designers to writers and musicians.
He has already documented 24 of them.
"It&39;s a great adventure discovering human nature," said Diop.
"Very often, once people feel liberated of social constraints and free from the role they play in society, they are very surprising. That&39;s always really nice."
He meets different artists who teach him different things.
"Truly, I am really honoured. If I was a little five-year-old girl, I would be jumping up and down everywhere -- that&39;s how happy I am."
Diop is internationally recognised but draws his inspiration from Dakar where he says creativity is flourishing.
"If I had to choose a word to illustrate everything that is going on in Dakar&39;s cultural scene, the word would definitely be &39;boom.&39;
"Everyone is involved. I think that Senegalese people in general are born artists.
"But what is going on right now is that there is a renewed awareness and focus on artistic potential, and our way of life."
Diop is aiming to take at least 100 portraits for the Vanities series.
