Samuel Fosso wins the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2023

The influential prize, in partnership with the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, rewards artists and their projects recognised as having made the most significant contribution to the world of contemporary photography over the preceding 12 months.

Samuel Fosso was awarded the Prize for his exhibition “Samuel Fosso” at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, (10 November 2021 – 13 March 2022).

Since the mid-1970s, Samuel Fosso (b. 1962, Kumba, Cameroon) has dedicated his artistic practice to self-portraits and performative photography. Fosso’s retrospective exhibition traces a career of almost 50 years, bringing together iconic series, lesser-known works, archival material and previously unpublished images. Raised in Nigeria, Fosso fled the Biafran War as a young boy, and in 1972 was taken in by an uncle in Bangui in the Central African Republic. In 1975, at the age of thirteen, Fosso opened his Studio Photo Nationale. Alongside commercial work, Fosso immediately began a series of self-portraits – a mode of representation he has never abandoned. Described as “a man of 1000 faces”, Fosso plays the role of leading historical figures, including Martin Luther King, Angela Davis and Haile Selassie, and social archetypes in front of the camera, embodying a powerful way of existing in the world, and a vivid demonstration of photography’s role in the construction of myths. His work is deeply personal, he said “making pictures of myself later in life was a way for me to take back what I had been lacking as a child, to take back my reflection.”

The Jury
The jury of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2023 comprised: Natalie Herschdorfer, Director of Photo Elysee, Lausanne, Switzerland; Mahtab Hussain, artist; Thyago Nogueria, Head of Contemporary Photography at Instituto Moreira Salles, São Paulo, Brazil; Anne-Marie Beckmann, Director of Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, Frankfurt/Main, and Shoair Mavlian, Director of The Photographers’ Gallery, London, as voting chair.

Shoair Mavlian, Director, The Photographers’ Gallery, said: 

“We are delighted to announce Samuel Fosso as the winner of this year’s Prize. His sustained exploration of self-portraiture uses a traditional, studio-based approach steeped in history, while at the same time his work remains relevant and addresses contemporary political issues of today with humour and authenticity. His work has created an extraordinary platform for Black voices and artists throughout his career.”

Anne-Marie Beckmann, Director, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, said:

“Huge congratulations to Samuel. I am delighted that with this year’s Prize we are celebrating the importance of his retrospective at Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris. The curation of the retrospective opened up new perspectives, allowing many more people to discover his work for the first time; and thrilled and surprised those who felt they already knew it. Through the retrospective we were able to see his work differently and gain a much deeper understanding of the relevance of his practice today.

Many congratulations to the other shortlisted artists Bieke Depoorter, Arthur Jafa and Frida Orupabo. This extraordinary group of artists has shown us the power and resonance of photography today. Thank you for allowing us to share your work as part of this year’s exhibition and Prize.”

The other shortlisted artists – Bieke Depoorter, Arthur Jafa and Frida Orupabo – all received £5,000. The exhibition showcasing all four artists is at The Photographers’ Gallery until 11 June 2003. The exhibition will tour to the Muzeum Fotografi w Krakowie, Krakow, Poland (30 June to 17 September 2023).

About Samuel Fosso
Samuel Fosso was born in Kumba, Cameroon and raised in Nigeria, Fosso fled the Biafran War as a young boy, and in 1972 was taken in by an uncle in Bangui in the Central African Republic. In 1975, at the age of thirteen, Fosso opened his Studio Photo Nationale.

Samuel Fosso has exhibited in major international venues including the Centre National de la Photographie, Paris; Tate Modern and National Portrait Gallery, London and the Guggenheim Museum and Museum of Modern Art, New York. The major retrospective of his work, inaugurated at Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris in 2022 travelled to Huis Marseille, Amsterdam and Walther Collection, Neu-Ulm, Germany. In 2020, the monograph “Autoportrait”, the first comprehensive survey of Samuel Fosso’s work, was published by Steidl.