Sanlé Sory
The first monograph on the Burkinabé photographer Sanlé Sory, whose unforgettable images capture a country at the dawn of its independence.
In 1957, a teenager from a small village arrived in the BurkinabĂ© city of Bobo-Dioulasso. Struck by the importance of ID pictures in this urban setting â and impressed by the prices photographers taking them could command â he learned the trade of shooting and processing photographs. Three years later, the same year Burkina Faso gained full independence from France, seventeen-year-old SanlĂ© Sory opened his own photo studio, Volta Photo.
Over the following three decades, Sory became one of the most renowned photographers in West Africa, respected for documenting slices of life in a rapidly changing social and political landscape. Along with the distinctive ID photos and laid-back outtakes he captured in his own studio, Sory was a dedicated chronicler of his cityâs nightlife, creating a visual record of youth culture in Burkina Fasoâs early post-colonial days.
This stunning book, the first monograph on Soryâs work, features more than two hundred of his arresting black-and-white photographs, including both studio portraits and nightlife photography. The bookâs imagery is complemented by insightful texts, including an essay from Sory reflecting on his life and career. Created in close collaboration with the artist, SanlĂ© Sory is not only an essential volume for fans and collectors, but an immersive visual journey that transports readers into the exciting, vibrant world of post-colonial West Africa.
The first monograph on the Burkinabé photographer Sanlé Sory, whose unforgettable images capture a country at the dawn of its independence.
In 1957, a teenager from a small village arrived in the BurkinabĂ© city of Bobo-Dioulasso. Struck by the importance of ID pictures in this urban setting â and impressed by the prices photographers taking them could command â he learned the trade of shooting and processing photographs. Three years later, the same year Burkina Faso gained full independence from France, seventeen-year-old SanlĂ© Sory opened his own photo studio, Volta Photo.
Over the following three decades, Sory became one of the most renowned photographers in West Africa, respected for documenting slices of life in a rapidly changing social and political landscape. Along with the distinctive ID photos and laid-back outtakes he captured in his own studio, Sory was a dedicated chronicler of his cityâs nightlife, creating a visual record of youth culture in Burkina Fasoâs early post-colonial days.
This stunning book, the first monograph on Soryâs work, features more than two hundred of his arresting black-and-white photographs, including both studio portraits and nightlife photography. The bookâs imagery is complemented by insightful texts, including an essay from Sory reflecting on his life and career. Created in close collaboration with the artist, SanlĂ© Sory is not only an essential volume for fans and collectors, but an immersive visual journey that transports readers into the exciting, vibrant world of post-colonial West Africa.
Description
The first monograph on the Burkinabé photographer Sanlé Sory, whose unforgettable images capture a country at the dawn of its independence.
In 1957, a teenager from a small village arrived in the BurkinabĂ© city of Bobo-Dioulasso. Struck by the importance of ID pictures in this urban setting â and impressed by the prices photographers taking them could command â he learned the trade of shooting and processing photographs. Three years later, the same year Burkina Faso gained full independence from France, seventeen-year-old SanlĂ© Sory opened his own photo studio, Volta Photo.
Over the following three decades, Sory became one of the most renowned photographers in West Africa, respected for documenting slices of life in a rapidly changing social and political landscape. Along with the distinctive ID photos and laid-back outtakes he captured in his own studio, Sory was a dedicated chronicler of his cityâs nightlife, creating a visual record of youth culture in Burkina Fasoâs early post-colonial days.
This stunning book, the first monograph on Soryâs work, features more than two hundred of his arresting black-and-white photographs, including both studio portraits and nightlife photography. The bookâs imagery is complemented by insightful texts, including an essay from Sory reflecting on his life and career. Created in close collaboration with the artist, SanlĂ© Sory is not only an essential volume for fans and collectors, but an immersive visual journey that transports readers into the exciting, vibrant world of post-colonial West Africa.
