Depara

{{Short description|Angolan Congolese photographer (1928–1997)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Depara

| other_names = Jean Depara

| birth_name = Lemvo Jean Abou Bakar Depara

| birth_date = 1928

| birth_place = Kboklolo, Angola

| death_date = 1997

| death_place = Kinshasa, DR Congo

| occupation = Photographer

}}

Lemvo Jean Abou Bakar Depara, commonly known as Depara (1928–1997), was an Angolan-born photographer, who worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo.{{Cite web |title=Lemvo Jean Abou Bakar Depara |url=https://africa.si.edu/exhibits/pigozzi/depara.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927230415/https://africa.si.edu/exhibits/pigozzi/depara.html |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |website=African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection |publisher=National Museum of African Art}}{{Cite book |last=Pigozzi |first=Jean |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mugxAQAAIAAJ |title=100% Africa |last2=Magnin |first2=André |last3=Bilbao |first3=Museo Guggenheim |date=2006 |publisher=Tf Editores |isbn=978-84-96209-68-8 |pages=153 |language=en}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fGxLAQAAIAAJ |title=國際攝影雜誌 (International Photography Magazine) |date=2007 |publisher=Ivory Press |volume=5 |pages=254 |language=en}}

Depara purchased his first video camera to record his wedding in 1950; four years later, he was made official photographer to the Zairian singer Franco. In 1975 he became official photographer to the National Assembly of Democratic Republic of Congo, and also took many photographs of the social scene of Kinshasa during the period.

At his death in 1997, he left a large archive of untitled negatives; many of these have been reprinted and titled for sale since his death. Some of Depara's work is in the collection of Jean Pigozzi.