The largest photography library in Africa has opened in Ghana’s capital, Accra, showcasing the work of forgotten, established, and emerging talent from the continent and diaspora.
Dikan Center is a non-profit organization that is committed to visual education and visual storytelling. Founded by Ghanaian photographer and filmmaker Paul Ninson, the center houses over 30,000 books, along with books featuring the groundbreaking work of pioneering black photographers like Gordon Parks, the first African American photographer to work for Life magazine and National Geographic publication. There are also rare books like one from 1852 that was signed by Stephen Hill, the governor of Gold Coast (as Ghana was known before it gained its independence). The center also houses a photo studio and classrooms to host workshops and a fellowship programme aimed at African documentarians and visual artists.
Bond-trader-turned-photographer and author of Humans of New York Brandon Stanton kickstarted the crowdfunding campaign that helped establish the Dikan Center.
With the launch of the photo gallery, Dikan center will curate exhibitions and public programming on works from Africa and the diaspora. The gallery will also present new works alongside the rediscovery and reassessment of work by established voices. The first exhibition will be Ahennie, a series by the late Ghanaian documentary photographer Emmanuel Bobbie (also known as Bob Pixel).
Photography has a long history in West Africa, having been introduced by explorers and governors in the early 1840s. It was quickly adopted by African entrepreneurs who frequently worked as itinerant photographers, such as George Lutterodt, who ran pop-up studios and established a business in Accra in 1876. Pioneering photographers captured social, cultural, and political changes in the fashion and music worlds in the twentieth century, including renowned Malian portraitists Seydou Keta and Malick Sidibé, and Ghanaian photojournalist James Barnor, who established Ghana’s first colour processing lab. The collection pays tribute to pioneering Black photographers and West Africa’s history with the medium, from its introduction in the 1840s to contemporary visual artists today.
Image courtesy of The Guardian
Ninson started collecting photography books when he was studying at the School of the International Center of Photography in New York.
“I started buying African photo books, with the idea of sharing them with young photographers back home, but as my collection grew, it dawned on me that I could create a library dedicated to photography and visual education, so I started reaching out to booksellers for donations. I also received donations from private galleries and collectors,” Ninson tells The Guardian.
His vision for Dikan center is to celebrate this rich photographic history and the accomplishments of African artists, and offer inspiration and resources to emerging photographers.
