Curator Taous Dahmani on Sanlé Sory

"Sanlé Sory is part of a remarkable lineage of West African studio photographers," the writer and curator Taous Dahmani tells Phaidon.com.

"His work has profoundly shaped contemporary photography, influencing African, African American and Afropean artists alike, yet I still think his contribution is less widely recognised than it deserves, particularly outside specialist circles."

Sanlé Sory, Je vais décoller (I’m Taking Off). Photograph: © Sanlé Sory

Our new book Sanlé Sory, (and an accompanying exhibition at The Photographers’ Gallery in London, curated by Dahmani) is set to introduce the photographer’s work to a wider audience and will celebrate his place within the global history of photography.

It’s the first monograph to celebrate the breadth of Sory’s remarkable work, bringing together more than 250 extraordinary images, many of which have never been published before. 

Sanlé Sory, Le plein chez Total route de Banfora (A Full Tank at Total on Banfora Road). Photograph: © Sanlé Sory

The book begins in his legendary studio, with his classic black and white photographs, documenting society in all its finery. Sory furnished his studio with props and playful backdrops, resulting in portraits that show a spectrum of vibrant youth culture in Burkina Faso. The book follows a day in the life of Sory, during the country's post-independence. 

Sanlé Sory, J’en suis sûr! (I’m Sure of It!). Photograph: © Sanlé Sory

Then, it moves on to join Sory at the city’s nightclubs and discos, where he captured people dancing to the sounds of the day. The photographer also travelled beyond the city, hosting dances in rural communities he called ‘dust balls’, for people in remote villages to be a part of an emerging, exciting scene. 

Sanlé Sory, Les jeunes mélomanes (Young Music Lovers). Photograph: © Sanlé Sory

 
This book has been produced in collaboration with Florent Mazzoleni, the keeper of Sory’s archive. It opens with an introduction written by Mazzoleni and includes 8 thematic essays on subjects including fashion, music and youth culture. 

Sanlé Sory, Devant Volta Photo (In Front of Volta Photo). Photograph: © Sanlé Sory

"In his early black-and-white photographs, he commissioned painted backdrops from artists in Ghana—gardens, beaches, aeroplanes and even a modern cityscape featuring the façade of his own Volta Photo studio," Dahmani tells Phaidon.com.

"These weren't simply decorative; they offered his clients imagined worlds of travel, ambition and possibility, transforming the studio into a stage where people could perform the lives they dreamed of."

Sanlé Sory, La jeune bobolaise (The Young Bobolaise). Photograph: © Sanlé Sory

Although Sory’s archive is estimated to have once contained more than one million negatives, the vast majority has since been lost or destroyed. The surviving photographs in our book are therefore all the more remarkable. 

Sanlé Sory, L’ancien militant (The Old Militant). Photograph: © Sanlé Sory 

"What makes Sory's practice truly distinctive is not only its longevity, but also its continual evolution," Dahmani tells Phaidon.com.

"Rather than repeating the same formulas, he constantly renewed and reinvented his approach, responding to changing technologies, fashions and the aspirations of his sitters. His archive is not simply a record of a particular place and time; it reflects the work of a photographer who remained curious, inventive and deeply engaged with the possibilities of photography throughout his career."

Discover this incredible photographer’s legacy by ordering a copy of Sanlé Sory, here.  Look out for our full interview with Taous Dahmani in the coming weeks.

Sanlé Sory, Sory photographe (Sory Photographer). Photograph: © Sanlé Sory