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Ghana's First Photojournalist Honored After 80 Years
5 Nov
Summary
- James Barnor, Ghana's first photojournalist, received a major photography award.
- His career spans eight decades, documenting Ghana and London.
- An exhibition of his work will be held in London in April 2027.
Renowned photographer James Barnor, celebrated as Ghana's inaugural photojournalist, has been bestowed the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award. His career, which commenced in the 1950s, spans an impressive eight decades, documenting transformative periods in Ghana and his adopted home, London.
Born into a photographic family in Ghana, Barnor began his career at the Daily Graphic, capturing the nation's social shifts and move towards independence. He later opened Ever Young Studio, creating portraits that defined an era, before moving to London in 1959.
In London, Barnor honed his skills in color printing and contributed to lifestyle magazines. He also established Ghana's first color-processing film lab. Now 96, his influential work, which blends photojournalism, portraiture, and street photography, will be featured in a London exhibition in April 2027.
Barnor's artistic contributions are deeply influential, shaping a visual language for the African continent and its diaspora. His retrospective at Somerset House in April 2027 and his presence at the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony on April 15, 2027, mark significant milestones in celebrating his legacy.
