Dioman (1994) is a self-taught artist who lives and works in Dakar, Senegal. After studying law, he decided to abandon everything to engage himself in the art world. His life story is the driving force behind his work. He went through difficult periods in his life where he even became homeless. The entry of art into his life has given him hope. Dioman: ‘Life is a battle with yourself. And you must never lose hope, never give up. That is why I have used Edison’s light in my works, it is literally and figuratively the symbol for hope and light. Of course we need a dark side, because without a dark side there is no light.’

The light also symbolizes cosiness and togetherness. ‘When I lived on the street everything got dark at night and I only saw the light bulbs burning in the houses of the people. It looked cosy, a safe place where people gather and where they share everything. I felt extra lonely because I was in the dark.’

After his life took a positive turn and art entered his life, he only wants to emphasize the positive side of everything. Cheerful radiating colours, the Senegalese hospitality ‘Teranga’, light bulbs and graceful lines, symbolize the possibilities that one should never lose sight of. He sees the world in colour and finds joy and peace in it. ‘I want to radiate that positive energy with my work and motivate the viewer to always step out of the dark into the light’.