Sur les marches du cinéma Sya

A night out at the Sya cinema in Bobo-Dioulasso. Two young men strike a pose on the concrete steps: one in a long open coat over a wide-collared shirt and pale flared trousers, one foot planted on the upper step; the other with a cigarette between his lips, a hat and a diamond-patterned sweater. Sanlé Sory's flash carves their dandy silhouettes out of the bare walls. By day he ran the Volta Photo studio, opened in 1960, the year of independence; by night he photographed the city's dance halls and cinema crowds.

This limited edition print (number 2 of 8) is a Digigraphie on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315 g paper, with museum framing and museum glass. A landmark of African photography, held by MoMA, the V&A and LACMA, Sanlé Sory is on view at Sakana Gallery in Donostia until 1 October 2026. A black and white print from the square 6×6 negative, never cropped.

Print details

• Edition : 2/8
• Image : 36 × 36 cm
• Paper : 40 × 50 cm
• Technique : Digigraphie print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315 g paper
• Framing : Museum framing, museum glass

A night scene, caught by flash on cinema steps, is a reminder that the history of African photography was not written in capital cities alone. While Seydou Keïta and Malick Sidibé worked in Bamako, Sanlé Sory kept his studio in Bobo-Dioulasso and, once night fell, left it to follow the young crowd to the cinemas and dance halls. These two dandies leaving a screening belong to the nocturnal, music-filled and singular side of his work.

All works by Sanlé Sory · Exhibition catalogue (PDF)