#offchain
About this series
The black-and-white pictures in this photo book by Beninese portrait photographer Rachidi Bissiriou covers two decades work, from the late 1960s, when his Studio Plaisir (Studio Pleasure) was established, to the late 1980s. The photographs display a strikingly modern aesthetic and provide a window into the period's burgeoning cultural trends. Traditional West African garments are placed side by side with flared trousers, billowing shirts and handbags, showing a newfound Western influence beginning to creep in.
Rachidi Bissiriou operated his Studio Plaisir in his hometown of Kétou in Benin until its closure in 2004. The timing of this was conspicuous – Bissiriou was only 18 and Benin had only declared its independence from French rule eight years earlier, in 1960. Armed with a Yashica twin-lens camera, Bissiriou documented these heady times, spending the next three decades shooting black and white photographs of the locals in a standard 6x6cm format.
While traditional portraits from these times often showcased their subjects unsmiling and with a rigid formality, Bissiriou’s images are remarkable for their simplicity and a freshness that feels utterly contemporary. Shot against plain backdrops, or in the town where they lived, Bissiriou’s subjects posed wearing their own clothing, which could range from traditional West African attire such as grand boubou, head wraps and Ankara agbadas, to more modern styles that nodded to the explosion in youth culture at the time. Bissiriou’s skill was in forging a connection with his subjects, being able to put them at ease, and allowing their innate sense of self-expression to shine through. His camera often captured his subjects in a moment of quiet repose, by turns self-possessed, contemplative, and optimistic.
“For Bissiriou, the desire to become a photographer was in his own words, 'because someone who is a photographer has the freedom to go anywhere and everywhere.' While the primary focus of his nearly three decades of photography were the residents and families of his hometown, the images are no less transportive, instantly painting a vivid picture of West African society during a ground-breaking moment of transformation,” states Kin Woo in the photo book.
Photographer: Rachidi Bissiriou
Photo book: Gloire Immortelle
Photos copyright Rachidi Bissiriou
DRAWLIGHTS | 1/1 – one post/one photographer, weekly. Off-chain and on-chain. By Peter Nitsch, lens-based artist, a member of Jenny Metaverse and lifetime Member of the Royal Photographic Society of Thailand.