Bamako...and Samuel Bosso

Strolling through the streets of Barcelona, and what do I see? A photo exhibit of African artists entitled Bamako. (There seems to be a common theme here...) Of all the amazing images, I was most surprised by the story and work of Samuel Bosso, who has lived and worked in Bangui, Central African Republic since leaving Nigeria at the age of 10 as a result of the Biafran War. He opened his own photo shop at 13 and would send his maternal grandmother photos to let her know he was OK.

"He used scraps of film to photograph himself posing disguised and playing different roles. He sent the pictures to his family in Nigeria. For thirty years, he has been making self-portraits, which express a reflection about identify, otherness, unspeakableness, and correctness."


Little did I know he was the iconic image on the 2005 Africa Remix CD, which I own. (I need to pay better attention!)

With this photo, I wanted to say to westerners, 'Look, we had our own democracy before you came, we had our own rulers, our own presidents, but it was our ruler that you came and got rid of, and in his place, you set up your hierarchies, your systems.' It's about the things they did in the past, and the things that they continue to do. On the surface they cover it up, but beneath the surface it's the same as ever.

Great 2002 article in the Guardian.

Sorry I missed the full story when he was here...and when I was in Bangui. But never to late to learn more. This book has these images and many of the other amazing work from the show in it.