Self-Portrait at Home
Oumar Ka Senegalese
Not on view
During his career Oumar Ka produced dozens of carefully composed self-portraits. Here, he has lowered his glasses and placed a pen in his pocket, and wears a hat that identifies him as a Sufi follower of the Senegalese Saint Amadou Bamba. As in most of his portraits, Ka articulates his persona through his surroundings. We can see the internal architecture of the thatch-roof house, the wardrobe, and dozens of portraits hanging behind him. Printed in multiple copies, Ka gave his self-portraits as gifts to his best customers as a conscious marketing strategy to please and reward his clientele. This portrait presents Ka as a professional photographer, conscious of his art, strategic about his business, and aware of his image.
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