Through an African Lens: Sub-Saharan Photography from the Museum’s Collection
Sanlé Sory, Yamaha de nuit, 1972, gelatin silver print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by Joan Morgenstern in memory of Bruce Daniel. © Sanlé Sory, courtesy of Yossi Milo Gallery
Title
Through an African Lens: Sub-Saharan Photography from the Museum’s Collection
Dates
February 27–July 5, 2020
Overview
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, presents Through an African Lens: Sub-Saharan Photography from the Museum’s Collection. Featuring a dynamic range of work by 20 artists from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, this exhibition of 70 photographs explores a variety of artistic styles and expression from the 1950s to the present.
Today, the list of premier photographers from Africa is ever-growing, as artists from midcentury are remembered and given a place in the larger history of the medium, and contemporary practitioners make their mark in an increasingly globalized culture. Offering a small segment of the breadth of photography created in sub-Saharan Africa, these works address performance and personal identity, cultural traditions and modern aspirations, and social and political context.
The Museum organized this exhibition to coincide with the FotoFest Biennial 2020: African Cosmologies, and other associated exhibitions and programs presented around Houston in March and April.
Location
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Audrey Jones Beck Building
5601 Main Street
Organization
Through an African Lens: Sub-Saharan Photography from the Museum’s Collection is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Media Contact
Katie Jernigan, publicist
713.639.7516 | kjernigan@mfah.org