Ivorian photographic artist Paul Sika has
burst onto the scene with his colourful tableaux depicting ordinary and
not-so-ordinary lives Paul Sika describes himself as a “creative entrepreneur” who realises his vision through films and photography, but “is aware that creativity does not stop there”. The confidence that exudes from this free-thinking photographer, as well as his mature understanding of photography and the moving image, belie his 24 years. A self-taught photographer and cinéaste, Sika says his love of photo-making stems from his passion for storytelling.
Sika’s journey into the world of photography is nothing short of unusual. It started with a cathartic moment in London after he saw an advert for the movie The Matrix Reloaded. “When I saw the famous highway car chase in the film, the scene shocked me and I was intrigued by what I saw and thought to myself, if this is the kind of imagination that‘s required to make a movie, then I can do it too.”
Sika has quickly become an artistic force to be reckoned with, and his services are now sought after by leading
African brands.
His childhood in Côte d’Ivoire played a big role in his artistic
development before he moved to London to study. He loved video games and became a master storyteller based on plots he made up with his friends. “I started to think that there was a talent inside me that I wasn’t using. And being in a country that has movies, cinemas and a lot of games and different technical equipment, this new opportunity started to come out.”
Artistic licence
Sika enjoys “bending and distorting reality; that’s what attracts me. The fact that I can see it and put it on a screen by being able to distort reality and turn it into something that is beautiful, this is what inspires me the most.”
Sika was studying software engineering at the University of Westminster in London when he was inspired to put his ideas into action.
The thought of seeing his
ideas come to life made him
decide: “This is for me. I can do it and see the physical result of my imagination instantaneously.
“That was why I decided to delve into this path and see what I could do. For me, the ability to use my imagination is the most important thing.
If I could not imagine, that would be tough for me.”
Motivated to buy his first
camera, Sika says he became hooked and hypnotised by it all, becoming more than just a snapper. “I would just shoot everything. But then I thought, I can’t just shoot everything, and I had this search for creativity.” It was this quest that led him to his discovery of David LaChapelle, the American
photographer and film-maker known for his surreal style, after a friend commented that he could see elements of
LaChapelle in Sika’s work. Read the full article and see a selection of photos from Sika's 'Africa Series' in
the February-March edition of The Africa Report, on sale now. See a preview of this article below or subscribe to The Africa
Report via our online store.
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