Sanlé Sory

 “My pictures showcase an era, a city and the good people of Bobo-Dioulasso, who were the stars of their own existence. They illustrate the meeting between tradition and modernity, between country and city life, colonization and independence, past and future – as an immediate present.” 

– Sanlé Sory 

Born in 1943 in Burkina Faso, Sanlé Sory is an acclaimed photographer whose career has produced an estimated million photographs over six decades. His photographs document the political and social shifts his country experienced during the 1960s, a decade of newfound independence and hope. As Burkina Faso gained full independence from France, Sory captured the people’s response through portraits that reflect the joy and optimism of the time.