A series of events—spanning exhibitions, discussions, performances, and more.
James Barnor, Self-portrait with a store assistant at the West African Drug Company, central Accra (around 1952)
© James Barnor / Courtesy galerie Clémentine de la Féronnière
This summer, Ghana will celebrate the life and work of pioneering Ghanaian-British photographer James Barnor with the James Barnor 95 Festival. Launching at the end of May, the festival coincided with Barnor’s 95th birthday. It was conceived by gallerist Clémentine de la Féronnière following a conversation with Barnor, where he expressed his wish to spend his special occasion in his homeland.
© James Barnor / Courtesy galerie Clémentine de la Féronnière
Born in Accra in 1929, Barnor has captured significant social, cultural, and political developments in Ghana and England over six decades. As Ghana’s first photojournalist, he documented key events such as the rise of Kwame Nkrumah and Ghana’s independence in 1957. Barnor opened his first studio, Ever Young, in 1953, and after moving to England in 1959, he photographed the multiculturalism and cultural revolution of the Swinging Sixties, with his work regularly featured in the influential South African magazine Drum.
James Barnor, Kwame Nkrumah welcomed home upon his return from London in 1957 after the conference of Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth, Accra (July 1957)
© James Barnor / Courtesy galerie Clémentine de la Féronnière
Barnor also established Ghana’s first color processing laboratory in the 1970s before moving to London again in 1994, where he resides today. His recent birthdays have been marked by exhibitions at prestigious venues such as the Serpentine Galleries and Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Galerie Clémentine de la Féronnière in Paris.
James Barnor, Filling up the Studio X23 car at the Agip petrol station for its 1974 calendar, Accra (1973)
© James Barnor / Courtesy galerie Clémentine de la Féronnière
This year’s festival will elevate the celebration with exhibitions at eight venues in Accra and Tamale, including retrospectives at the Nubuke Foundation and Nuku Studio, and a “Barnor on the Road” exhibit at the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art. The festival will feature a panel discussion, music and dance performances, documentary screenings, and community archiving and photojournalism workshops.
James Barnor, A traffic officer on duty in the business district (Atta Mills High Street), Accra (1970s)
© James Barnor / Courtesy galerie Clémentine de la Féronnière
One unique event includes an exhibition on an airplane purchased by artist Ibrahim Mahama, traveling from Accra to Tamale, and stopping in villages along the way. Féronnière hopes the festival will democratize Barnor’s work, allowing a wider audience to appreciate his significant contributions to the history of Ghana and Africa.
James Barnor, Naa Jacobson as Ballroom Queen after a fashion show, Ever Young Studio (around 1955)
© James Barnor / Courtesy galerie Clémentine de la Féronnière