Robert Nzaou .

Photographer

Robert Nzaou, born in 1976 in Nkayi, Congo Brazzaville is a self-taught Congolese photographer.
In the 90s, he opened up to art thanks to the urban poetry of rap. To flee the violence of his country, he went into exile in 2001 in South Africa for almost ten years. Today, he shares his life between these two countries.

In 2015, he discovered photography through the works of Robert Doisneau, Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Frank. "I absolutely fell in love with this medium which allowed me to tell stories and remain a poet, to develop my imagination while inscribing it in reality. Street photography became my credo and I spent most of my time living this poetic passion as close as possible to people and their lives."
"The desire to tell, share ordinary or unusual moments, shows the rest of the world where I come from is the basis of my work and my creativity." Today, his pictures have been exhibited all over the world: South Africa, Congo, Ghana, France, Germany, and United States.

This award winning photo series is called 'Louzolo', which means 'Love' in Kikongo, a local Congolese language.
The series explores the love languages in Congolese society, the do's and don'ts, what is acceptable and what's not.
How much is too much, how can one express love in public. The images in this series portray a role reversal for what is usual in most Congolese households, showing men doing some of the things which are usually seen as a woman's domain, and demonstrating the joy that brings, to see a man doing even little things but which women appreciate very much.