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As an African I love Africa, I love our arts, our customs & culture, our rich history, our creativity and our use vibrant colours for textiles etc. However I noticed, we have many great talents back home (most entirely self taught artist), the majority have not had the the medium to showcase their creative arts or publicize their work globally as much as they want. I have decided at least twice a month, to showcase a creative African talent on my blog.
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Today I start by featuring a renowned photographer called Paul Sika. Paul is one of the few lucky ones, whose work has cross over and now quite known in Europe & America. Paul's work has been praised by Forbes, The New York Times, and Arise Magazine among others.
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Paul Sika is an Ivorian self taught photographer (and as CNN described him he is "No Ordinary Photographer"). Paul applies his complex understanding of computer science to create mesmerizing photographs which are influenced by cinema and one-frame filmmaking. Paul Sika’s photographs depict African scenes with vivid, eye-catching visuals. The oversaturated, vibrant colors in his work are the result of extensive post production, using Photoshop. To create his images, Paul Sika builds a cast to portray the scenes he has scripted and the post-production transforms the captured photographs to the vibrant photographs we see.
Sika is at home working in the digital medium having studied software engineering at university, and his dynamic style has won him work on advertising campaigns for Ivorian fashion labels.
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His work is also gaining recognition overseas, having been exhibited in New York and featured on U.S.-rapper Kanye West's blog. But Sika is keen not to limit himself to just one medium. Describing himself as a "creative entrepreneur," he has just published a book of images and text called "At the Heart of Me," and is looking for partners to help him branch out into fashion, perfume, and online computer games. But for now it's his photographs that are grabbing people's attention.
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More than just eye candy, Sika's images tell complex stories about Africa. One striking photo shows two men using small bags of water to put out a blazing fire. It's an image rich with symbolism.But for now it's his photographs that are grabbing people's attention.
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More than just eye candy, Sika's images tell complex stories about Africa. One striking photo shows two men using small bags of water to put out a blazing fire. It's an image rich with symbolism. "It's basically about the personal and collective struggle and the perseverance we show when we get towards a common greater good," Sika told CNN. "The fire can be understood as the problems in life. The small water bags can be the small means you have to get out of these problems. "So these youthful people you see are creative enough to use the small means they have to get out of the big problems they're encountering." It's this kind of positive portrayal of Africans, free of cliches and stereotypes, that Sika says is central to his work. "You have great people everywhere," he told CNN. "I've been very bent on showing positivity, happiness, hope, in ways that are not just flattering, but in ways that are real.
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Today I start by featuring a renowned photographer called Paul Sika. Paul is one of the few lucky ones, whose work has cross over and now quite known in Europe & America. Paul's work has been praised by Forbes, The New York Times, and Arise Magazine among others.
.
Paul Sika is an Ivorian self taught photographer (and as CNN described him he is "No Ordinary Photographer"). Paul applies his complex understanding of computer science to create mesmerizing photographs which are influenced by cinema and one-frame filmmaking. Paul Sika’s photographs depict African scenes with vivid, eye-catching visuals. The oversaturated, vibrant colors in his work are the result of extensive post production, using Photoshop. To create his images, Paul Sika builds a cast to portray the scenes he has scripted and the post-production transforms the captured photographs to the vibrant photographs we see.
Sika is at home working in the digital medium having studied software engineering at university, and his dynamic style has won him work on advertising campaigns for Ivorian fashion labels.
.
His work is also gaining recognition overseas, having been exhibited in New York and featured on U.S.-rapper Kanye West's blog. But Sika is keen not to limit himself to just one medium. Describing himself as a "creative entrepreneur," he has just published a book of images and text called "At the Heart of Me," and is looking for partners to help him branch out into fashion, perfume, and online computer games. But for now it's his photographs that are grabbing people's attention.
.
More than just eye candy, Sika's images tell complex stories about Africa. One striking photo shows two men using small bags of water to put out a blazing fire. It's an image rich with symbolism.But for now it's his photographs that are grabbing people's attention.
.
More than just eye candy, Sika's images tell complex stories about Africa. One striking photo shows two men using small bags of water to put out a blazing fire. It's an image rich with symbolism. "It's basically about the personal and collective struggle and the perseverance we show when we get towards a common greater good," Sika told CNN. "The fire can be understood as the problems in life. The small water bags can be the small means you have to get out of these problems. "So these youthful people you see are creative enough to use the small means they have to get out of the big problems they're encountering." It's this kind of positive portrayal of Africans, free of cliches and stereotypes, that Sika says is central to his work. "You have great people everywhere," he told CNN. "I've been very bent on showing positivity, happiness, hope, in ways that are not just flattering, but in ways that are real.
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