“Allégoria” firmly anchors Diop’s meticulously crafted reconfigurations in this present moment of time, inviting us to think critically about environmental justice, anthropocentricism, and our collective and individual responsibilities in securing more viable, liveable futures. As in previous works, Diop’s dramatic renditions borrow openly from different genres that include classical painting, universal religious iconography, and mid-century West African photographic studio portraiture, as well as Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock compositions from the Edo period—“pictures of the floating world.” These metaphorical works emphasize the transitory nature of human life, as evident in the series’ closing composition—the striking Allegoria 15, which powerfully illustrates ideas of collaborative survival. Here, the cultural politics of self-fashioning, the recasting of histories, and the aesthetic styling of Black diasporic/African identities are creatively coupled with ecological reflections and indigenous inscriptions. Diop lends his uniquely expressive countenance to each of his creations, where, once again, as ever, insistently, exquisitely, “the epiphany of the face is alive.” ​ ​ ​ Renée Mussai ​ The Epiphany of the Face: Omar Victor Diop’s Visual Liberations ​ ​