Who am I ?

A story… of resilience

It began at the age of 4 with a major trauma that left indelible marks, and has since given way to many other shocks. But whether it was the sudden announcement of my certain death at the age of 23 by a clumsy anaesthetist who was preparing to put me to sleep for vital surgery, or the liquidation of my company at the end of 2020 caused by both an unfaithful client and the economic crisis caused by the global coronavirus pandemic, I remain enthusiastic and determined to spread joy no matter what the circumstances. With confidence, I overcome the obstacles that stand in my way; I move forward one step at a time, tirelessly pushing back my own limits, as well as those that society imposes on people like me who are labelled “different”.

… and a deep conviction

Love, acceptance and adversity have been the revelations of my strength. I resolutely take a positive and different view of the concepts of vulnerability and “disability” in the broadest sense. From my native Africa to Europe and America, my life has given me the chance to rub shoulders with all kinds of diversity and to be able to attest that every individual has a genuine zone of excellence, a hidden treasure where their passions and talents are exercised. So many reasons to come together, not to reject each other.

A natural commitment

Never having considered the obstacles I have faced as a hindrance, I said the following in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde*: ‘And sometimes, I have even thanked the people who may have discriminated against me along the way, because they allowed me to reveal myself to myself’. Aware of the suffering caused to thousands of people by discriminatory norms and stigmatising social attitudes, I am resolutely committed to social justice. I decided to put my energy into building an inclusive society in which every difference has a place. As a first step, I invited society to look at disability in a different way, with a positive, non-victimistic message. A change of perspective conceived as a prerequisite for action.

Daring and art as the watchwords

Over the last 10 years, I’ve been driving social change by using art as a powerful lever, and encounters as a straightforward pretext for enabling people to (re)connect with themselves and with others through their human side. My avant-garde concepts are surprising in their boldness and beauty, questioning society’s relationship with otherness, and speaking a universal language accessible to all. My most emblematic projects include “Aesthetics and Disability”, “Miroir de mon âme”, “Let’s trample prejudices” and “CHAOS”, all of which are simple ways of letting people experience and feel emotions that are both personal and shared. Their impact resonates in the hearts of millions of people, whether or not they are affected by singularities.

And what about today?

New desires and a new dynamic for action that involves other players in working together to design the world of today and tomorrow: co-constructing, testing and experimenting with other solutions to the issue of inclusion, at the confluence of legal requirements, strong social expectations and proven economic performance.
While making difference a subject for rapprochement remains at the heart of my raison d’être, I believe that people who are ‘different’ have a major role to play in the changes we need to bring about. From now on, I want to express myself as part of a group so that I can stay in touch with what’s going on in the field, pass on real-life experiences, provide food for thought and act as a link between different stakeholders.
To encourage individuals and organisations to take a step aside and deploy their exceptional talent, I’m offering a series of three personalised conferences for

BOOSTING boldness,
INSPIRING confidence,
TRANSFORMING mindsets!

Deza Nguembock

*Article dated 13 February 2015, A day in the life of Deza Nguembock, Founder of E&H LAB