Born in 1928, Kboklolo, Angola.
Died in 1997, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, where he lived and worked.
Depara came to photography almost by accident. To record his wedding in 1950, he bought a small Adox camera, after which he never ceased to seek out new subjects for his lens. Settling in Kinshasa in 1951, Depara first combined photography with various small jobs: repairing bicycles and cameras, and dealing in scrap metal. In 1954, the celebrated Zairian singer Franco invited him to become his official photographer, launching Depara’s career as a chronicler of Kinshasa’s social life in the era when rumba and cha-cha defined the city’s rhythm.
He set up a studio under the name Jean Whisky Depara and spent his days in bars such as the Kwist, the OK Bar, or the Sarma Congo. At night, he frequented clubs such as the Afro Mogenbo, the Champs-Élysées, the Djambo Djambu, the Oui, the Fifi, and the Show Boat. Night owls particularly fascinated him, and with his flash Depara captured an Africa stripped of conventional social codes. Interracial couples, hipsters, and those who, in imitation of James Dean, chose to “live fast, die young” became both his subjects and his clients.
Among Depara’s photographic themes are the Miziki, who played a powerful role in Kinshasa society. These associations of women were rooted in pre-independence traditions, and a Moziki (singular of Miziki) could act as a banker within her social circle. In the 1950s and 1960s, Miziki associations took names such as La Pause and La Mode, and commissioned famous bands to compose songs for their annual events. Depara died leaving behind an archive of hundreds of untitled negatives; with the permission of the artist’s family, his close friend Oscar Mbemba titled the works in the spirit of this era.
Collections
Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris, France
Collection Jean Pigozzi, Geneva, Switzerland
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
