Nil Gallery presents a selection of contemporary African and Maghrebi photographers whose works explore identity, heritage, and resilience through compelling visual narratives. Each artist engages with both the past and present, blending documentary, abstraction, and symbolism to create layered reflections on cultural evolution.
Sara Benabdallah’s practice blends storytelling and photography to preserve Moroccan traditions while addressing contemporary social dynamics. In Al Astrulabiya, she revives the legacy of Arab astronomers, combining historical scholarship with visual innovation to celebrate a heritage that once bridged cultures. In Dry Land, she explores the complexities of Moroccan womanhood, revealing the tensions between societal expectations and personal autonomy, highlighting the resilience of women navigating these constraints.
Girma Berta continues this dialogue through dynamic portrayals of African cities, where the energy of urban life is captured with a painterly sense of motion. His series Motion spans Addis Ababa to Bamako, distorting movement to reflect the pulse of modern African metropolises. Through a balance of realism and abstraction, Berta’s work celebrates Africa’s evolving visual and cultural landscape, where figures—workers, commuters, street vendors—become symbols of perseverance and transformation.
Josiah Tsibu Manu approaches history through materiality, repurposing tro tro doors and windows as canvases for archival imagery. These everyday objects, embedded in Ghanaian public life, become vessels for historical reflection. By embedding vintage photographs into their surfaces, Manu creates a dialogue between past and present, critiquing global cycles of consumption and celebrating Ghana’s enduring spirit of reinvention. His work transforms discarded materials into poignant explorations of memory, identity, and resilience.
In addition, Caleb Kwarteng Prah’s work adds to this exploration of identity, delving into the complexities of African diaspora narratives, highlighting personal and collective histories through deeply textured visual stories. His practice embodies an ongoing dialogue about belonging, transformation, and the power of visual representation.
Together, these artists—Benabdallah, Berta, Manu, and Prah—interrogate cultural representation and transformation, dissolving the boundaries between past and present. Their work reclaims overlooked histories, celebrates contemporary realities, and invites viewers to reflect on the ever-evolving nature of identity. At ZONAMACO Foto 2025, Nil Gallery showcases these artists as part of an ongoing exploration of memory, movement, and heritage in the contemporary photographic landscape.
