Happy Comme Baker

Summary

The photographic artwork « Happy Comme Baker« , pays tribute to the artist Josephine Baker, icon of the French and American cabaret show in the 1930s, and a true symbol of the fight against racial segregation alongside Martin Luther King in the 1960s. She forged her image by using and appropriating the stereotypes of the black community which propelled her to the rank of star, but also provoked numerous protestations accusing her of reinforcing the depreciative image of the black woman.
The artist Philippe Shangti also regularly uses paradox and ambiguity to convey his messages. He wishes to pay tribute to her by creating this surprising staging of the symbols of Josephine Baker, meaning of joy, life and freedom.