From an early age, David was impressed by the way that photographs could render the human condition. His development as a “street photographer” probably began with the impatience that he felt during family photography sessions growing up in Toronto, Canada. Rather than expect his subjects to wait for him, he prefers to move at the same pace as his subjects.
Since the 1980s, he’s used his camera to explore urban communities, self awareness, the stories of Black Canadians, and our relationship with the natural world.
His work has been exhibited in Berlin, Paris, Sao Paolo, Bamako, Washington D.C as well as The Art Gallery of Ontario and Royal Ontario Museum. His work has been published in the Anthology of African and Indian Ocean Photography, Revue Noire, Camera Canada, and his own Regent Park: the Public Experiment in Housing. His work is in public and private collections including that of Nelson Mandela’s estate.
David Ofori Zapparoli
Toronto, Canada
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
"Descendants of the Black 1000: Flight from Oklahoma Black Towns to Canada", Oklahoma Contemporary, 2 person show, Nov. 2023 - April, 2024 okcontemp.org
"Cities In Flux", Art Gallery of Ontario, group show, 2023
"I Am Black History", Art Gallery of Alberta, 2 person show, 2022
"Raptors Fever", Contact
Festival (Online), group show, 2021
"Missing Pages", group show, Cambridge Art Gallery (Ontario), 2021
Acquisition of 4 works by Art Gallery of Ontario, June 2019
“The 1884 Blues” as part of a two person show, Drake Hotel, 2017
“Outside These Walls”, two person show at Carleton University, 2017
“Position as Desired”, group show, Art Gallery of Windsor, 2017
“Tributes and Tributaries”, group show, AGO, September 2016 - June 2017
“Pixelation”, group show, OCADU, February - March 2016
“Adinkra Project”, digital photography, A Space (windows), November 2015 to January 2016
“Position As Desired”, photography, Canadian Museum of Immigration, Halifax, group show, 2013
PUBLISHED WORKS
Descendants of the Black 1000: Flight From Oklahoma Black Towns to Canada, brochure, 2023
okcontemp.org/DescendantsPersonalAccounts
Street Level: A Search For Belonging, book, 2022
Tributes and Tributaries, catalogue, 2015
Toronto Grid Works, catalogue, 2003
Making Our Mark, published by Between the Lines, 1999
Regent Park: The Public Experiment in Housing, catalogue, 1999
The Anthology of African and Indian Ocean Photography , published by Revue Noire, 1998, full page
African Canada, Revue Noire publishers, one page, 1997
Toronto’s Toronto, Toronto Animation Workshop,1988, full page
Camera Canada, “Urban Contrast”, a periodical, six pages, 1987
Celebrate Our City, McClennand and Stewart, commemorated Toronto’s 150th year, 1984
GRANTS & AWARDS
Canada Council, Project Grant, 2023
Ontario Arts Council, project grant, 2018
Canada Council, Travel Grant, 2000
Canada Council, Project Grant, 2000
Ontario Arts Council, Project Grant, 1999
Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance, 1998
Canada Council, Travel Grant, 1998
Toronto Arts Council, Project Grant, 1997
Ontario Arts Council, Project Grant, 1995
Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance, 1991
Canada Council, Explorations Grant, 1990
Toronto Arts Council, Visual Arts Grant, 1990
1st prize, Celebrate Our City: a photography competition with over 12,000 entrants, 1984