Samuel Fosso

Samuel Fosso was born in 1962 in Cameroon. A survivor of the civil war in Nigeria, he began his photographic career at the age of 13. In the photo studio he opened in Bangui (Central African Republic), an advertisement proclaimed: "With Studio Photo Nationale, you will be beautiful, chic, delicate and easy to recognize".

During the day, he responds to orders from clients who have come for official photographs, group portraits or even to immortalize events. In the evening, he puts himself on stage and photographs himself to finish the films he started during the day.

In 1994, Samuel Fosso presented his work at the Rencontres de Bamako and won first prize. In 1997, for the 50th anniversary of the French brand Tati, he created an eponymous series, emblematic of his work. Other series will follow at the rate of one approximately every 4 years: Memoir of a Friend (2000), My Grandfather's Dream (2004), African Spirits (2008), Emperor of Africa (2013), SIXSIXSIX (2015), Black Pope (2017), Fosso Fashion (2021).

Samuel Fosso is a true pioneer in portraiture. He initiated the genre, nearly 50 years before it became the preferred mode of expression for contemporary African artists, now acclaimed by collectors. Samuel Fosso's self-portraits are present in the collections of the greatest museums in the world: the Tate Modern, the MoMA, the Georges Pompidou center, the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac.