artist/ Sanlé Sory

Burkina Faso

**SANLÉ SORY (BORN 1943, BURKINA FASO)**

Sanlé Sory was born in 1943 in Naniagara, Burkina Faso. He lives and works in Bobo-Dioulasso, where he began his photographic career in 1960, the year his country gained independence and became Upper Volta. Shortly afterwards, he established one of the country’s first photography studios, Volta Photo, which quickly became highly successful. His studio became a true gathering place for his community, where people came to have their portraits taken, either as couples or in small groups, in a warm and convivial atmosphere.

At the time, Bobo-Dioulasso was a thriving cultural crossroads. With a keen eye, Sanlé Sory documented the changing customs and lifestyles of his country and its people for more than 20 years, capturing the tension between tradition and modernity. Whether depicting a modern city, a seaside setting, an ancient column or an airplane gangway, the backdrops in Sanlé Sory’s studio were always designed and hand-painted by the artist himself.

In this 1972 work, *Sory Blocked with His Apprentices*, the backdrop depicts the interior of a house, with an open window. The artist stands at the centre of the scene, surrounded by his two apprentices. Taken using a self-timer, the three of them had only a short time to strike a pose. There is a playful, almost carefree quality to the image. Their eyes meet the camera with both joy and strength, conveying a sense of determination.

His works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago. Phaidon will publish his first monograph in October 2026.