Malick Sidibé’s black and white portraits capture scenes from youth culture in 1960’s Mali. His documentary style depicts influences as wide ranging as rock and roll to Parisian fashion, all uniquely conveying the atmosphere and vitality of the capital, Bamako, in a period of tremendous cultural change. Born in 1935, Sidibé’s straightforward approach kept his vision full of truth, laughter and life. After completing his studies at Institut National des Arts, Sidibé opened his studio in 1958 and has been taking portraits ever since. The first photographer to win the Venice Biennale Golden Lion for lifetime achievement, and the Hasselblad Award, Malick Sidibé explains the joy in his photos:
In the West people have to have all this stuff to be happy, but we don’t have this system. But physical poverty doesn’t mean moral poverty. In Africa we have moral riches and happiness in our hearts.
[via lens culture]
Facebook
Twitter
Digg
Reddit
StumbleUpon
