Jojo Alfredo, Faith series, 2018
Mário Macilau
Ed Cross Fine Art
A tool originally used for capturing native bodies and landscapes, the camera was often used as a tool by colonial powers. Following its invention in the early 1800s, photography made its way to Africa, where it quickly took root and profoundly influenced local visual cultures as well as international perceptions of the continent. By the late 19th century, it became an essential tool for colonial administrations, missionaries, and publishers, who used it for both documentation and propaganda.
Recognizing photography’s potential as effective propaganda, Ethiopian emperors Yohannes IV and Menelik II both cleverly staged photographs to convey an image of modern sovereignty in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Meanwhile, African photographers began to carve out their own thriving studios around this period. In West Africa, professionals formed networks that produced portraits, event photography, and urban scenes using wet-collodion and later dry-plate techniques, catering to a wide array of local clients.
The Chief Who Sold Africa to the Colonists, 1997
Samuel Fosso
Efiɛ Gallery
Self Portrait with Pearls, 2019
Atong Atem
Messums
Cities such as Saint Louis in Senegal and Freetown in Sierra Leone emerged as focal points for photography. Here, through portraiture, postcards, and civic records, studio photography became seamlessly integrated into both everyday life and elite society. Across different regions of Africa, photographers used painted backdrops and props to create aspirational modern identities for their subjects. Photo studios became spaces not only for representation but also for self-expression.
Meanwhile in East Africa, Indian Ocean diasporas created their own signature photographic practices, producing postcards and using photography to mark special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and reunions.
As the Museum of Modern Art in New York prepares to shine a light on 20th- and 21st-century photographers with the exhibition “Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination,” which opened December 14, 2025, here are 10 Africa-born lens-based artists that deserve your attention.
B. 1961, Larache, Morocco. Lives and works in London and Marrakesh
Muneera & Sukina, aka Poetic Pilgrimage, 2016/1437 (Gregorian/Hijri)
Hassan Hajjaj
Yossi Milo Gallery
Bumi, 2013
Hassan Hajjaj
projects+gallery
Hassan Hajjaj moved to London at the young age of 12, where he embraced the vibrant energy of the city’s club culture. He expertly weaves this experience with his Moroccan heritage to forge a brash artistic style, drawing inspiration from the rich traditions of African studio photography.
Looking to masters of the genre like Seydou Keïta, Samuel Fosso, and Malick Sidibé, Hajjaj reinvents this esteemed history of studio portraiture with striking, colorful portraits showcasing musicians, artists, and friends in lively poses. He photographs these figures in outfits of his own designs, taking on traditional Moroccan textiles with the edge of modern streetwear. His portraits—often framed by motifs of everyday consumer objects such as motorbike tires, Coca-Cola cans, and food tins—evoke the essence of traditional Moroccan zellige mosaics while nodding to Pop art and consumerist themes. Hajjaj has shown his solo exhibitions in Somerset House in London, the Freies Museum in Berlin, and the British Museum. Sometimes referred to as the Andy Warhol of Marrakech, he merges Eastern and Western influences to challenge stereotypes and construct a rich, globally appealing aesthetic.
B. 1962, Kumba, Cameroon. Lives and works in Bangui, Central African Republic, and Paris
From the 70s Lifestyle series, Self Portrait 17, ca. 1975-78
Samuel Fosso
Purdy Hicks Gallery
La Femme Liberée Américaine , 1997
Samuel Fosso
Purdy Hicks Gallery
In 1972, at just 13 years old, Samuel Fosso escaped to Bangui, Central African Republic, fleeing the turmoil of war in Nigeria, where his family was living. There, he began his journey as a photographer’s apprentice, swiftly moving on to establish his own portrait studio, “Studio Photo Nationale,” at the same tender age. His remarkable talent was first recognized when he clinched the Afrique en Créations prize at Bamako Encounters in Mali in 1995, leading to retrospectives at prestigious venues like the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris.
Fosso is best known for his captivating staged self-portraits “Autoportraits” (1970s–present), in which he embodies diverse personas. He critiques the politics surrounding self-representation by dressing up as a Black dandy, Mao Zedong, and African American revolutionary philosopher, Angela Davis. Esteemed curator Okwui Enwezor described Fosso’s studio as a sophisticated “theater of fantasy, as well as a space for the mediation of history and social identity.” Fosso’s intentionally ambivalent images encapsulate the themes of postmodern photography, cleverly employing parody and pastiche.
B. 1990, Johannesburg. Lives and works in Johannesburg
He could hear the voice of his ancestors, 2020
Lebohang Kganye
BKhz Gallery
Lebohang Kganye’s artistic practice delves into the rich realms of familial archives and storytelling. In the project “Ke LEFA LAKA: HER-STORY,” she masterfully intertwines her own self-portraits with archival family photographs in photo-montages. Through this digital fusion, she challenges the boundaries of time and explores the nuances of identity and memory.
One of her notable works, Ke Lefa Laka (It’s My Inheritance) (2013–15), employs techniques like collage, double exposure, and performance. She mimics her mother’s attire and gestures, creating a poignant exploration of past and present as she navigates themes of maternal loss and the search for belonging within South African genealogies. This striking project garnered many accolades, including the Deutsche Börse Prize in 2024 and the CAP Prize in 2016. In the South African pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2022, the artist creatively reinvented classic Western fairy tales, placing them in the vibrant setting of a South African township and taking on the role of the main character, whom she called “Snow Black.”
She currently has a solo show at Fotografiska Berlin and also participated in “New Photography: Lines of Belonging,” a group show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2025.
B. 1943, Naniagara, Burkina Faso. Lives and works in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
Sur ma nouvelle moto XL, ca. 1974
Sanlé Sory
Black Liquid Art Gallery
Cascadeur à mobylette, 1970-1975
Sanlé Sory
A. Galerie
At the age of 17, Sanlé Sory learned to use a twin-lens Rolleiflex 6x6 camera and to process prints. Shortly after, he founded Volta Photo in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, in 1965. The portrait studio ended up as one of the leading studios of its time, capturing the lively youth culture of postcolonial Burkina Faso through striking black-and-white photography.
His early work featured inventive painted backdrops and modern props, often selected by his subjects, who were local youths and friends of his. In this way, he empowered them to shape their own visual identities. This innovative approach of utilizing elaborate studio settings for self-expression was initiated by George and Albert Lutterodt, Ghanaian photographers who operated in pop-up studios from the 1870s indicative of wider trends in African photography.
Additionally, Sory garnered acclaim as a photographer documenting the vibrant Burkinabe club scene. His first major exhibition, which received rave reviews, was held at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2018 with a monograph published by Steidl accompanying it. He has been included in group exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in 2020 and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in 2022. Sory’s work is held in prestigious collections such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
B. 1935, Soloba, Mali. D. 2016, Bamako, Mali
Amoreaux, ca. 2002
Malick Sidibé
Black Liquid Art Gallery
Studio Malick Portrait (18 October), 1975
Malick Sidibé
Harper's
In 1958, Malick Sidibé founded the renowned Studio Malick in the buzzing Bagadadji neighborhood of Bamako, Mali. He quickly earned the title “the Eye of Bamako” thanks to his magnetic presence and a remarkable talent for capturing the vibrant nightlife and striking fashion of young Malians during the 1960s and 1970s—the period marking Mali’s independence from French colonial rule. He is best known for capturing youths in Western-style attire playfully posing with thoughtfully selected props, carefully blending traditional and global cultures.
Although he gained international acclaim later in his career, with his first exhibitions emerging in the 1990s, Sidibé made history as the first African and first photographer to be awarded the prestigious Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale in 2007. He also received the Infinity Award for Lifetime Achievement from the International Center of Photography in 2008. He has been represented by Jack Shainman Gallery since 2002.
B. 1976, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Lives and works in Port Harcourt
New Baptism Again, 2022
Zina Saro-Wiwa
Montague Contemporary
Zina Saro-Wiwa creates video art with local collaborators that explores themes of environmentalism, spirituality, and the magnificence of nature. As the founder of the Mangrove Arts Foundation, she also champions cultural and agricultural initiatives that combat ecological devastation in the Niger Delta. Much of her work highlights the delicate ecosystems of this oil-rich area, which continues to bear the scars of exploitation and environmental degradation.
In 2013, she journeyed to Ogoniland, a site of intense conflict between indigenous farmers and the oil industry, which inspired her multimedia installation The Invisible Man. In these videos and still images, she performs masquerade traditions involving heavy masks that are typically reserved for men. As curator Osei Bonsu told Artnet News: “In [The] Invisible Man, you see the artist reckoning with her experience of loss in her own family, notably the death of her father, a climate activist and Nobel Prize nominee. She is posing in these photographs in a mask, because when one puts on a mask, you enter a realm between the living and the ancestral world.”
Saro-Wiwa’s impactful work has been showcased in prominent exhibitions like Tate Modern in London in 2023 and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
B. 1980, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Lives and works in Johannesburg
Sabelo Mlangeni started out as a delivery boy for a local photographer. From there, he went on to capture his first wedding, igniting a passion for photography that would define his career. His photographic approach emphasizes building relationships with his subjects, which he honed over six years in small towns within Mpumalanga province in South Africa, where he grew up. This is particularly true of his acclaimed series, “Country Girls” (2003–09). This work offers an intimate glimpse into gay life in the South African countryside, showcasing subjects who have crafted their identities far from urban centers.
Mlangeni’s subsequent series have explored the landscapes and towns reshaped by post-apartheid change—such as “Ghost Towns” (2009–11) and “My Storie” (2012). His impressive accolades include the Tollman Award for Visual Arts (2009), the POPCAP ’16 Prize for Contemporary African Photography and the Africa MediaWorks Photography Prize (2018). In the Venice Biennale 2024, he presented an exhibition consisting of images that celebrate trans and queer South Africans.
B. 1994, Addis Ababa. Lives and works in Melbourne
Paanda, 2015
Atong Atem
Messums
Akuot, 2015
Atong Atem
Messums
Atong Atem’s work is immediately recognizable: Her vibrant hues, intricate patterns, and stunning costumes draw from the legacy of African studio photographers. Having relocated to Australia as a child, she creates striking, stylized portraits that delve into the complexities of identity, migration, and being part of the African diaspora in the 21st century.
The “Studio Series” (2015) features beautifully staged studio portraits of her friends. In every image, her subjects are set against vibrant and colorful backdrops, while the sets are adorned with intricately patterned fabrics, stylish furniture, and lush bunches of flowers. Her acclaimed photobook Surat—translating to “snapshots” in Sudanese Arabic—was published in 2022, serving as a testament to these explorations with a collection of self-portraits.
Atem has achieved national recognition, winning the Melt Portrait Prize at Brisbane Powerhouse in 2016 and the inaugural La Prairie Art Award for Australian women in 2022.
B. 1979, Lagos. Lives and works in Toronto
Abraham O. Oghobase focuses on the representation of the Black body and African histories within archival photography. Placing himself into his performative self-portraits, he seeks to subvert the colonial gaze. A prime example is found in his “Colonial Self-Portrait” series, where he digitally overlays his image onto archival photographs of British colonial officials in Nigeria, effectively reimagining history and challenging existing power dynamics.
Elsewhere, in his “Untitled” series, he observes the barrage of advertisements plastering the streets of Lagos and responds by positioning his body in various poses against a wall filled with “classifieds” criticizing the effectiveness of such guerrilla marketing—an endeavor that earned him a Prix Pictet nomination in 2014. In 2019, he was honored with the inaugural Okwui Enwezor Prize at the 12th Rencontres de Bamako African Biennial of Photography. His work was included in the Nigeria Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2024 and has shown in group shows at esteemed institutions such as the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2023 and Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki in 2011.
B. 1984, Maputo, Mozambique. Lives and works in Maputo
Breaking News,The Profit Corner, 2015
Mário Macilau
Ed Cross Fine Art
Mário Macilau is known for documentary work in which he immerses himself with communities long term to shine a light on their social marginalization and precarity. His striking black-and-white portraits poignantly portray themes of human labor, displacement, post-conflict reconstruction, and environmental injustices.
Among his notable series are “Growing in Darkness”, which explores the lives of street children in Maputo, and “The Profit Corner”, which highlights the effects of global electronic consumption on his local community. In one photo, a Black child is seen standing in a sea of electronic waste items while covered in a dirty white shroud. His work has been showcased at the Dakar Biennial in 2022 and Tate Modern in London in 2023. His most recent photobook, Faith, was released through Kehrer Verlag in 2024.
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