Dereck Bassa / 13assa

Dereck Bassa graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree in Communication and media studies in 2022. He volunteered as a news contributor at CHUO 89.1 FM and worked as a photojournalist for the francophone student newspaper La Rotonde. He has been a member at DARC since 2019.

Dereck has been producing music from the comfort of his bedroom since 2020. His involvement in Produced by Youth, a music production workshop that provides a safe space for black youth in Ottawa to independently produce music, jump-started his musical journey, and played an integral role in connecting him to the creative community in Ottawa. In addition to photography, Dereck creates music under the pseudonym 13assa.



In 2023, he performed at the summer edition of Pique with fellow Produced by Youth alumni, Shaye A, singer/songwriter Salwa, and vocalist Tatiana.

I am an Ivorian-Canadian photographer and multimedia artist. I take pictures of small moments in time with the intention of revisiting them. Small moments make up a life and I seek to document the ones I cherish.