Olivier Rebufa

[…] Olivier Rebufa became known as a visual artist and photographer in 1989 thanks to his unique technique of incorporating photographic self-portraits into reconstituted miniature environments, surrounding himself with dolls, figurines, toys and scale models. His works are filled with humour and play on the notions of reality and artifice. His major solo exhibitions were held during the International Photography Biennale at the Musée de Marseille, at the Maison des RIP in Arles, and in Canada and Paris in the 1990s. 1998 marked his return to Senegal in search of his identity and memories. He would return there several times to gather accounts and stories, and build relationships for his project Keur Danou, in which he recounts his African experience, his childhood memories, as well as the cultural, economic and religious shock he encountered there. The 2000s saw him start a new project based on his African origins, Kawat Kamul, in which he broaches questions relating to the artist, the shaman, and the sacred nature of artwork. (Judith Peyrat, Baudouin Lebon Gallery).