The African Gaze: Photography, Cinema and Power

Author: Amy Sall
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Year: 2024
Pages: 288
ISBN: 978-0500025390

The African Gaze is a comprehensive exploration of postcolonial and contemporary photography and cinema from Africa. Drawing from archival imagery and documents, interviews with the photographers and filmmakers (in some cases family members/close associates if the artist is deceased), and contributions from writers, scholars, and curators, it maps a comprehensive introduction to African moving and still imagery.

This is a hugely important and timely publication—engagement with Black and African histories is stronger than ever before (and long overdue). The major names of African photography, such as Malick Sidibé, Sanlé Sory, and Seydou Keïta, have become highly collectible in the art market, while African cinema, pioneered by filmmakers such as Ousmane Sembène in 1960s Senegal, is now recognized for its creative innovation and storytelling.

For anyone drawn to African photography and film, this book will provide an exciting and accessible overview.