Nestor Da, born in 1982 in Ivory Coast and grew up in Burkina Faso.
Untitled #41, 2014.
About:
A self-taught photographer, Nestor Da draws his inspiration from his immediate environment and the everyday life of the people he encounters. His intuition and curiosity lead him to take unusual shots with startling details.
Untitled #30, 2012.
Nestor Da’s creative approach is very similar to the photomontage but he also draws his inspiration from expressionist paintings and even graffiti art. His images are always poetic; dazzling and
expressive like a wave, but also elusive. The series Ondes de perturbation seems to be extracted from a tale. The artist plays with reality and symbolism. The bright colors strike the viewer and both, the material and pattern used, challenge our perception of the world.
Untitled #46, 2014.
His work has been exposed in solo exhibitions accross Africa and Europe. His series L’ombre des images was exhibited at the Mainssieux Museum, Voiron, La Vitrine in Arles, in 2010, and the French Cultural Center Georges Melies of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in 2009. Additionally, his artwork has been exhibited in some group exhibitions as Biennale Benin 2012 Inventing World: The Artist as Citizen, where he was awarded with the French Institute Prize, the 8th Bamako Encounters : African Emerging Photography at the Paris Photo at Grand Palais in 2011.
Untitled #37, 2012.
Nestor Da also won the first prize of the Blachère Fondation at the Bamako Encounters 2009, which provided him a 6 months artistic residency in the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie located in Arles, France. This academic training granted him access to the world of photography and helped him develop his techniques and competences. He was nominated for the Pictet Consumption prize with his series Ondes de perturbation in 2013.(text: Galerie Cecile Fakhoury, 06 bp 6499 Abidjan 06, Côte d’Ivoire)