samuel fosso: self portraitist

samuel fosso: central african republic based nigerian photographer famous for his self portraits.

“Fosso talks about his work with striking simplicity. It may be this clarity that stops him from being too interested in the critics and the attention he now receives. “When I’m taking a self-portrait, I’m not looking to find out more about Samuel Fosso. I’m searching first of all to see my beauty. That’s how I started.

“When I look at myself in the mirror, I am not looking to find out if what I see is an Ibo, a Central African or even a black American. The only thing I can see is Samuel Fosso, who is trying to make himself as handsome as possible before taking a self-portrait.”

from guardian article discussing a 2002 program on fosso.