Samuel Fosso

Samuel Fosso
human
Ein sex anaa gendermale Edit
Country wey e be citizenNigeria, Cameroon, France Edit
Name wey dem give amSamuel Edit
Family nameFosso Edit
Ein date of birth17 July 1962 Edit
Place dem born amKumba Edit
Languages edey speak, rep anaa signFrench Edit
Ein occupationphotographer, artist Edit
Genreself-portrait Edit
Award e receivePrince Claus Award Edit
Dema official websitehttps://samuelfosso.com Edit
Copyright representativereproduction right not represented by CISAC member Edit
Copyright status as creatorworks protected by copyrights Edit
Personal pronounL485 Edit

Samuel Fosso (born July 17, 1962) be a Cameroonian-born Nigerian photographer wey work give most of ein career insyd de Central African Republic. Ein work dey include he dey use self-portraits wey dey adopt a series of personas, often dey comment for de history of Africa. One of ein most famous works of art, den wat he be best known for, be ein "autoportraits" wer he dey take either einself anaa oda more recognizable people den dey draw dem insyd a style of popular culture anaa politics.[1] He be recognized as one of Central Africa ein leading contemporary artists.[2]

He win de Prince Claus Award from de Netherlands insyd 2001 den de Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize insyd 2023.[3]

Early life

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Na dem born Fosso insyd Kumba, Cameroon, to Nigerian parents. He grow up insyd Afikpo, ein ancestral home, til he for flee to Bangui insyd de Central African Republic for de age of thirteen insyd 1972 insyd de wake of de Nigerian Civil War.[4][5]

Career

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Insyd Bangui he begin dey work as an assistant photographer wen na he be twelve, den a year later as a portrait photographer plus ein own studio insyd Bangui, 'Studio Photo Nationale'.[6] Initially he make self-portraits make he fill up de unused parts of ein photographic films. Na he destine dese photographs give ein mommie, wey na she stay behind insyd Nigeria. De making of self-portraits cam turn an objective for ein own give am.[7][8]

As a teenager wey dey work insyd de studio Fosso often go take colorful self portraits for between client photo shoots. Na dem discover ein work by a collection of African intellectuals den writers wey dey include Okwui Enwezor den Iké Udé, wey dem bring Fosso into a more active role insyd de art community for ein adult career.[9][10]

Insyd 1994 Fosso cam be known abroad wen he win de first edition of African Photography Encounters insyd Bamako, Mali.

Fosso dey explore de idea of self-presentation den gender representation, wey dey experiment plus props, costumes, den poses insyd flamboyant 1970s fashion.[11] For ein self-portraits he use a delayed shutter release wey dey allow Fosso up to ten seconds make e pose give each photograph.[12] He often use cloth backgrounds, in front of wich he dress up insyd costumes wey vary greatly: authentic European costumes, African folk costumes, navy uniforms, karate keikogis, boxer shorts, den so on.[5][7][10][13]

Na he portray Angela Davis, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela,[14] Martin Luther King Jr. den oda black iconic figures. Insyd ein series African Spirits, Fosso dey convey empowerment den de art of storytelling thru ein self portraits of celebrated black figures.

For February 5, 2014, amidst looting after sectarian violence, Fosso ein home studio insyd Bangui, wey dey contain ein complete archive, na dem ransack. Na dis be discovered by chance by photojournalist Jerome Delay, wey, along plus fellow photojournalist Marcus Bleasdale, den Peter Bouckaert (Emergency Director for Human Rights Watch), rescue de majority of ein contents, dem estimate for 20,000 negatives den 150 to 200 prints, though na dem steal Fosso ein cameras. Na Fosso dey insyd Paris for de time.[15][16][17]

Awards

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  • 1994: 1st Prize, African Photography Encounters (Rencontres de la Photographie), Bamako, Mali
  • 1995: Prix Afrique en Creations
  • 2000: First Prize, photography category, Dak'Art – Biennale de l'Art Africain Contemporain, Dakar, Sénégal
  • 2001: Prince Claus Award, Netherlands[5][18]
  • 2010: 1st Prize in Visual Arts Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds
  • 2023: Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize for ein exhibition Samuel Fosso for de Maison européenne de la photographie[3]

Publications

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  • Samuel Fosso. Seydou Keita. Malick Sidibe. Portraits of Pride. West African Portrait Photography. Raster Forlag, 2003. ISBN 978-9171006776.
  • Maria Francesca and Guido Schlinkert. Samuel Fosso. 5Continents, 2008. ISBN 978-8874391011.
  • Simon Njami and Samuel Fosso. Samuel Fosso – PHotoBolsillo International, Revue Noire, 2011. ISBN 978-8492841622.

Collections

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Na dem hold Fosso ein work insyd de public collections wey dey follow:

  • Museum of Modern Art, New York: 14 prints (as of September 2018)[19]
  • Purdy Hicks Gallery, London: 15 prints[20]
  • The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: 7 prints (as of June 2020)[21]
  • Tate, London: 25 prints[22]

References

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  1. ↑ Raz-Russo, Michal. "Samuel Fosso". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  2. ↑ Lowery, Rebecca (2008). "Samuel Fosso". Museum of Modern Art.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "'Man of 1,000 faces' wins Deutsche Börse photography prize". The Guardian. 11 May 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  4. ↑ "Samuel Fosso - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (insyd French). Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Brigitte Ollier, "Samuel Fosso, le Narcisse noir" Libération, August 3, 2010. (insyd French)
  6. ↑ Henley, John (June 19, 2011). "Photographer Samuel Fosso's best shot". The Guardian. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Ulrich Museum of Art - Wichita State University". webs.wichita.edu. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  8. ↑ Taylor, Jessica (June 27, 2002). "Here's looking at me". The Guardian. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  9. ↑ Peffer-Engels, John (Winter 1997). "In/sight: African photographers, 1940 to the present". African Arts. 30 (1). Los Angeles: 73–75. ProQuest 220992177.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Hölzl, Ingrid (2009-05-01). "Self-Portrait/Self-Vision: The Work of Samuel Fosso". Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art (in English). 2009 (24): 40–47. doi:10.1215/10757163-24-1-40. ISSN 1075-7163. S2CID 194017808.
  11. ↑ "Samuel Fosso - Self Portrait". International Center of Photography. January 31, 2018.
  12. ↑ Oguibe, Olu (2015). "Samuel Fosso". Aperture (221): 88–93. ISSN 0003-6420. JSTOR 43825306.
  13. ↑ Klein, Melanie (2012). ""Between history, politics and the self. Photographic portraiture in contemporary art from Africa", in: Jana Gohrisch and Ellen Grünkemeier (Eds.), Listening to Africa. Anglophone African literatures and cultures, Heidelberg, pp. 69-91". Anglophone African literatures and cultures (in English).
  14. ↑ "Samuel Fosso - Nelson Mandela". Artsy - Purdy Hicks Gallery.
  15. ↑ Beaumont, Peter (February 6, 2014). "Rescued from war-torn Bangui: photographer Samuel Fosso's life work". The Guardian. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  16. ↑ Delay, Jerome (February 6, 2014). "Looted, but Not Lost: An African Artist's Life Work". Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  17. ↑ Peter, Bouckaert (February 5, 2014). "Dispatch: Discovering Beauty Amid the Carnage". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  18. ↑ Prince Claus Fund, Awards
  19. ↑ "Samuel Fosso. Untitled from the series African Spirits. 2008". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Samuel Fosso (1962)". Purdy Hicks Gallery.
  21. ↑ "The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Collections". Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  22. ↑ Tate. "Samuel Fosso born 1962". Tate (in British English). Retrieved 2020-06-25.
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