From the bustling, vibrant markets of Dakar and Lagos to the sunlit sidewalks of Abidjan and the historic Beherawi neighborhood of Addis Ababa, a bold new publication is taking readers on an extensive visual journey across the African continent. Titled Street Photography Africa, the newly released book presents a vast and multifaceted portrait of contemporary life, culture, and humanity as it unfolds dynamically in public domains.
Published this month by Thames & Hudson, the nearly 300-page survey was carefully curated by Nadine Barth and Azu Nwagbogu. The volume compiles hundreds of striking, evocative images captured by 33 talented photographers. Each contributor turns their unique lens toward the shared spaces of their respective cities, documenting spontaneous cultural moments, vibrant street fashions, musical performances, and the intricate rhythms of everyday routines. Despite the immense diversity in geographic scope, regional locations, and individual artistic styles, the expansive monograph is fundamentally anchored by a singular, unifying premise: that the street becomes a stage.
The book serves as a testament to the vitality of urban environments across the continent, capturing moments that are both monumental and deeply personal. Among the featured works is Tsion Haileselassie’s 2021 photograph titled Two in One, captured in the Beherawi neighborhood of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which portrays two young individuals standing thoughtfully before a textured gray garage door framed by striking lime-green walls. Similarly, Sarah Waiswa’s 2024 untitled photograph from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, captures a woman wrapped in a black headscarf balancing patterned cushions adeptly upon her head while carrying another under her arm, offering a glimpse into the dynamic visual landscape of daily labor and commerce.
The publication also highlights the intersection of modern youth culture and traditional urban backdrops. In Accra, Ghana, photographer Jude Lartey captures a striking black-and-white portrait titled Daniel (2024), featuring a skater wearing white-rimmed sunglasses and a mesh tank top with a skateboard resting casually across their shoulders. In Wuse, Abuja, Nigeria, photographer Kothegrapher documents a bustling street crossing in a piece titled We Dey Road Dey Come (2024), capturing a man balancing numerous hats on his head as he navigates the dense flow of urban traffic.
Further expanding the geographic and thematic breadth of the collection, Delali Ayivi’s 2021 portrait Looking Beyond—drawn from the series Racines de l’Imaginaire in Lomé, Togo—shows two teenage girls in matching dresses, with one gently shielding her eyes from the bright coastal sun. In Treichville, Côte d’Ivoire, a 2023 collaboration by Nuits Balnéaires portrays music artist Famas for the Poplin Project, posing thoughtfully behind a gathering of livestock in a scene that bridges contemporary music culture with traditional pastoral elements.
The interplay between urban transit, personal style, and identity is explored through Alexandre Gandaho’s 2023 photograph from Dakar, Senegal, titled Yellow Blue Car Rapide, which focuses on a pair of hands adorned with elaborate gold rings resting across a lap inside a classic bus. Stephen Tayo’s 2018 portrait Michael, captured in Lagos, Nigeria, features a shirtless man seated on a wooden stool amidst a rich backdrop of folded and hanging garments, emphasizing the city’s thriving textile culture and informal economies.
Other contributions delve into historical echoes and contemporary street markets. A poignant, undated black-and-white photograph titled Before the World Changes Us, captured in Lagos, Nigeria, depicts a formally dressed couple perched sideways on the crossbar of a bicycle, evoking a timeless sense of romance and shared history. Meanwhile, Naëtt Mbaye’s 2024 work from the series Marché 100 Francs in Dakar, Senegal, presents a portrait of a woman in a flowing white dress standing gracefully beneath a canopy of colorful market awnings.
Through these diverse visions, Street Photography Africa challenges monolithic representations of the continent, instead offering an intimate, multifaceted exploration of urban life driven by the people who inhabit, shape, and animate these shared spaces every day. The comprehensive survey is currently available for purchase through Thames & Hudson and booksellers nationwide.
