Bio
b. Nianiagara, Burkina Faso, 1943
Solo Exhibitions
2020
Sanlé Sory: Volta Photo, M+B Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2019
Sanlé Sory: Volta Photo, Weinstein Hammons Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2018
Volta Photo: Starring Sanlé Sory and the People of Bobo-Dioulasso in the Small but Musically Mighty Country of Burkina Faso, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Volta Photo, Yossi Milo Gallery, New York, NY
2017
Sory Sanlé: Volta Photo 1965-85, Morton Hill Gallery, London, UK
“L’âge d’or de la photographie voltaïque. Nouveau regard sur les indépendances.” Institut francais du Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
Sory Sanlé, Institut francais de Casablanca, Morocco 2016
2016
Sory Sanlé, Galerie 127, Marrakesh, Morocco
Group Exhibitions
2019
Through an African Lens: Sub-Saharan Photography from the Museum’s Collection, Musuem of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
2019
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom
Shape of Light: Defining Photographs from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
Studio Africain, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, France
African Spirits, Yossi Milo Gallery, New York, NY
Kubatana, Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium, Vestfossen, Norway
2018
Collective Recollection, RISD Museum, Providence, RI
2017
Autophoto, Fondation Cartier, Paris, France
Africa Pop Carte Blanche, Rencontres d’Arles Festival, Arles, France [screening]
2016
Femmes d’Afrique – Regards Croisés, Musée Africain, Lyon, France
2015
2015 Folk art africain ?, FRAC Aquitaine, Bordeaux, France
A la rencontre de la photographie africaine, Médiathèque de Mérignac, France
2008
La Condition des Soies, Lyon, France
1998
National Museum for African Art, Washington, DC
Städtischen Museum, Munich, Germany
Permanent Collections
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD
Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC
Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence, RI
Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, MA
Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom
Bibliography
2020
Chambers, Veronica. “Reflections on 1960, the Year of Africa.” The New York Times 8 February 2020
2019
Regan, Sheila. “Critics’ Picks: Sanlé Sory.” Artforum 6 November 2019
Weiss, Marta. Autofocus: The Car in Photography Thames & Hudson, 2019 [book]
Hutton, Belle. “Nine Photographers Changing the Way We See Africa and Its Diaspora.” AnOther 3 October 2019
Palumbo, Jacqui. “The Photographs That Defined 1969.” Artsy 30 July 2019
Weber, Jasmine. “The Tantalizing Photographic Figure at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair.” Hyperallergic 3 May 2019
“Sanlé Sory – Peuple de la Nuit.” The Eye of Photography 2 April 2019
“Parties and passion in Burkina Faso by Ibrahima Sanlé Sory – in pictures.” The Guardian 21 March 2019
Palumbo, Jacqui. “These Photographers Captured the Fearless Youth of the 1970s.” Artsy 21 March 2019
2018
Moroz, Sarah. “Sory Sanlé Captured the Eclectic Youth Culture of Newly Free Burkina Faso.” i-D 2 October 2018
Niarchos, Nicolas. “When Burkina Faso Vibrated with a New Culture.” The New Yorker 16 September 2018
Woodward, Richard B. “Sanlé Sory, Volta Photo @YossiMilo.” Collector Daily 5 June 2018
Schwendener, Martha. “What to See in New York Art Galleries This Week.” The New York Times 31 May 2018
“Reimagining Sanlé Sory’s Portrait Studio.” Photo District News 7 May 2018
Macdonald, Fleur. “ Sanlé Sory’s joyful photographs of Burkina Faso in the 1970s.” The Economist 4 May 2018
Anania, Billy. “Exhibition Review: Sanlé Sory: Volta Photo.” Musée 4 May 2018
Dykstra, Jean. “Portfolio: Sanlé Sory.” Photograph May 2018
Adesina, Precious. “Snapshot: ‘Volta Photo’ by Sory Sanlé.” Financial Times 27 April 2018
Abani, Chris. “The Postcolonial Moment.” New Republic May 2018
Bonanos, Christopher. “The Story of Sory.” New York Magazine 16-29 April 2018
Sory, Sanlé. Studio Volta Photo, Yossi Milo Gallery and Tezeta, 2018 [book]
Sory, Sanlé. Volta Photo: Starring Sanlé Sory and the Good People of Bobo-Dioulasso in the Small but Musically Mighty African Country of Burkina Faso, Steidl: Göttingen, 2018 [book]
Jansen, Charlotte. “T-Shirts by Sanlé Sory.” Elephant 18 March 2018
Knoblauch, Loring. “Photography Highlights from the 2018 Armory Show.” Collector Daily 9 March 2018
“Agenda: Exhibitions to See.” Aperture Spring 2018
Clewley, John. “Rediscovering an African Legend.” <cite<Bangkok Post 16 January 2018
2017
Kleih, Helene. “Sory Sanlé.” Coeval, 9 December 2017
Siddons, Edward. “"Sory Sanlé's best photograph: the studio where dreams came true."” The Guardian, 18 October 2017
Harding, Michael-Oliver. “'The unsung hero who captured West Africa’s rebels & Dreamers.'” Dazed, 26 September 2017
Stone, Bryony. “'Sory Sanlé: the photographer that time forgot.'” It’s Nice That, 29 August 2017
Feder, Vanessa. “Sory Sanlé’s Stunning Black and White Portraits Put Burkina Faso on the Map.” Unrated, 29 August 2017
Woodward, Daisy. “Photos Capturing the Youth Culture of 70s Burkina Faso.” Another Man, August 2017
Sanlé, Sory. Sory Sanlé: Volta Photo 1965-85, Reel Art Press/Morton Hill: London, 2017 [book]
“Reel Art Press publishes new book of photographic work by Sory Sanlé.” Art Daily, 19 August 2017
“'Photographing cars: ‘Autophoto’ exhibition at Cartier Foundation.'” Urban MishMash, 10 August 2017
“Una mostra di fotografi e motori.” Il Post, 20 July 2017
Etchebers-Sola, Lucie. “'‘Autophoto’ : l’amour sur la banquette arrière.'” Creators VICE, 17 May 2017
Forster, Siegfried. “’Autophoto’, une liaison artistique exposée à la Fondation Cartier.” RF, 20 April 2017
Pontecorvo, Adriane. “'Bobo Yéyé: Belle Epoque in Upper Volta.'” Popmatters, 13 January 2017
Nait Youssef, Mohamed. “Sory Sanlé, regard réfléchi sur tradition et modernité en Afrique.” Al Bayane, 4 January 2017
Shakur, Fayemi. “A Witness to Youth Culture in Burkina Faso.” The New York Times, 9 January 2017
2016
Beta, Andy. “'Bobo Yéyé: Belle Epoque in Upper Volta.'” Pitchfork, 10 December 2016
Sanlé, Sory. “'Bobo Yéyé: Belle Epoque in Upper Volta.'” Numero Group, 2016 [book]
“'The Musical Titans of 1970s Burkina Faso Are Compiled in ‘Bobo Yéyé: Belle Epoque in Upper Volta’.'” Okay Africa, 8 March 2016
“Sory Sanlé and the Studio Volta Photo.” The Eye of Photography, 29 December 2016
2015
Kodjo-Grandvaux, Séverine. “Burkina-Photographie ; Sory Sanlé, l’œil des années yéyé à Bobo.” Jeune Afrique, 3 November 2015