African Documentary Photographers You Should Know

This issue opens with a spotlight on three documentary photographers of African descent.

EDITORIAL

Three African Documentary Photographers You Should Know

These are 3 documentary photographers of African descent living on the continent and in the diaspora who deserve your attention.

Joana Choumali

Joana Choumali lives and works in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Her practice spans conceptual portraiture, mixed media, and documentary photography. Her work captures everyday scenes from life in Côte d’Ivoire and across Africa. Much of her work responds to and reflects the diverse cultures surrounding her. Choumali layers her photographs with image cutouts, fabric swatches, and intricate stitchwork. She transforms her original frames into sites of fantasy that burst with color, texture, and imagination. In her recent works, Choumali embroiders directly onto her photographs, completing the creation of the photographic image with a slow and meditative gesture.

Joana Choumali. Image courtesy of the artist.