Willy Cessa was born in 1975 in France, where he first studied music, then light design during 2 years.

Since 2001 he has worked as a director, light director and light designer with various artists and institutions, such as le Centre Dramatique Régional des Pays de la Loire, Herman Diephuis, Cie Les Aphoristes, Cie KLP, Esther Aumatell, Fanny de Chaillé, Danse l’Afrique danse!, Franck II Louise and Damien Jalet.

In 2007 he met Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui in Paris for the project La Zon-Mai at the Cité nationale de l’Histoire de l’Immigration. Since then they worked together on Apocrifu, Bound, TeZukA, 生长genesis, Shell Shock and Firebird.