Denis Dailleux — Ghana

Sea View Hotel
Jamestown, Accra
From the 7 th of september 2013 to the 1st of september 2014

Since 2007, Denis Dailleux lives in Cairo and Egypt has been the main subject of his photography for more than fifteen years. In search of new territories, and following the thread of his passion, Ghana became his second home port, of heart and of work.

“I had the desire to start again something elsewhere, something different, a new relationship to the people…be lost, start again, be surprised again. Sometimes, in Egypt, I am scared of having said it all. When I read Paul Strand’s book, Ghana, fifteen years ago, I told myself that one day I would go there, without knowing that it would happen by accident… I met two Ghanaians that opened the doors for me. The first is Kojo, who became my friend and Joseph with whom I work as well. My discovery of Ghana is tied to the friendships I developed with these two people, who are my assistants, and most importantly, my friends. I need those bonds to work properly.

I started working with fishermen. Egyptians culture is very faithful and religious and here I arrive in a place where culture and religion are less present, and where it is more Christian than Muslim. It was a shock for me. These fishermen don’t have the same relationship to the body, which is a recurring element in my work. In Egypt, the body is modest, while in Ghana, the body is uncovered. These two societies fascinate me, I go from one extreme to the other.”