Engaging with notions of perception and sexuality, Fosso's
groundbreaking portraiture reflects themes of global culture and the
freedom of self-expression." -Vanity Fair
A New York Times Book Review 2020 holiday gift guide pick
Autoportrait is the first comprehensive survey of the multifaceted
oeuvre of Nigerian photographer Samuel Fosso (born 1962). Since the
mid-1970s, Fosso has focused on self-portraiture and performance,
envisioning variations of identity in the postcolonial era. From Fosso's
early black-and-white self-portraits from the 1970s to his recent
exercises in self-presentation, highlights include the vibrant series
Tati (1997), in which he playfully inhabits African and African
American characters and archetypes; and the magisterial portraits of
African Spirits (2008), where he poses as icons of the pan-African
liberation and Civil Rights movements, such as Angela Davis, Martin
Luther King, Jr., Patrice Lumumba and Nelson Mandela.
This landmark monograph demonstrates Fosso's unique departure from the
traditions of West African studio photography, established in the 1950s
and '60s by modern masters Seydou Keïta and Malick Sidibé. By charting
his conceptual practice of self-portraiture, and sustained engagement
with notions of sexuality, gender and self-representation, this book
reveals an unprecedented photographic project.
