Born in 1955 in Sikasso, a region in the south of Mali, Youssouf Sogodogo studied painting at the National institute of the Arts of Bamako. He is currently the conservator at the National Museum of Mali. An internationally renowned photographer, Sogodogo considers himself self-taught. He didn’t start photographing until the 1980s, at which point he used familiar faces as his models. Sogodogo photographed the women of Mali and their intricate braids, which were later shown at the “Meet African Photography” Exhibition in Bamako. Despite varying themes, light is always a focus of Sogodogo’s photography.
