Artistic description of the photograph: This image magnifies the intensity of chiaroscuro, sculpting two bodies in a play of strength and surrender. The upright, imposing figure supports the inverted body of the other, whose posture conveys both vulnerability and power. Light glides across muscles and lines, transforming the scene into an almost sculptural composition. The work evokes the fragile balance between support and dependence, between gravity and elevation.
Artistic description of the series: The Bodies and Light series explores the dialogue between shadow and radiance, body and space, drawing inspiration from contemporary dance. Each photograph juxtaposes fragility and strength, intimacy and collectivity, visibility and invisibility. Here, light acts as a chisel shaping the figures, revealing their dual dimension—both carnal and spiritual. WODY offers a reflection on identity transformation and the human condition, carried by a poetic and choreographic aesthetic.
Yawo WODY’s photographic practice delves into the fluid relationship between the human body, space, and light. Guided by a constant pursuit of balance, elegance, and poetic resonance, his work transforms photography into a choreographic language where movement becomes narrative.
His series “Corps et lumière” (Body and Light) embodies this approach. Inspired by his passion for contemporary dance and enriched through collaborations with dancers and choreographers from various companies, the series unfolds in three chapters, questioning:
the body’s relationship with time,
its inscription in space,
and the transformations of identity it undergoes.
WODY sculpts his subjects with light, using both natural and artificial sources to reveal subtle details of form, texture, and emotion. His black-and-white images, often set against deep, minimalist backgrounds, create a tension between appearance and dissolution. Each photograph becomes a visual narrative, where energy, intimacy, and abstraction coexist.
Beyond aesthetics, his work engages with social and political questions, reflecting on themes such as power dynamics, territoriality, identity, and the evolving state of the world. Through his lens, Yawo WODY invites viewers into a space where the human body becomes a living sculpture, oscillating between fragility and transcendence.
Yawo WODY is a self-taught photographer, exhibition curator, and artistic director based in Lomé, Togo. His visual universe explores the interactions between the body, light, and movement, drawing inspiration from contemporary dance and three-dimensional forms.
2025 – Venice Architecture Biennale (Italy) Featured in the Togo Pavilion, curated by the Palais de Lomé
2023 – AKAA Art Fair (Also Known As Africa), Paris Presented the series “Corps et lumière|Body and Light.”
2022 – Group Exhibition, Palais de Lomé (Togo).
2021 – Festival of Contemporary Arts, Cotonou, Benin.
2020 – Solo Exhibition “Ombres et Présences | Shadows and Presences,” Lomé.
