Samuel Fosso (Photofile)

Samuel Fosso is one of Central Africa’s leading contemporary photographers, whose playful and perceptive work investigates Pan-African identity and history through the use of portraiture. Fosso found his path to art-making through his early work as a commercial portrait photographer, using his leftover film to capture self-portraits against well-considered backdrops and incorporating pose, costume, and props. Renowned for his “autoportraits”―styling himself and others as characters from popular culture or politics―Fosso reflects the world around him through a distinct aesthetic that has at times defied Nigerian dictatorial decree.