James Barnor

Autograph, London

Acquired from the above by the present owner

London, Rivington Place, Ever Young: James Barnor, September - November 2010 (another edition exhibited)

New York, United Photo Industries Gallery, Aunty! African Women in the Frame, 1870 to the Present, November 2018 - January 2019 (another edition exhibited)

London, Serpentine Gallery, James Barnor: Accra/London - A Retrospective, March - October 2021 (another edition exhibited)

In contrast to his renowned studio portraiture, James Barnor’s photograph Eva (c.1960s) embodies his sensitive documentation of diasporic experience and the flowering of cosmopolitan London. By the time Barnor captured Eva, he had moved from Accra to the UK, immersing himself in the dynamic energy of the British capital at the height of the “Swinging Sixties”.

This image, evocative and stylish, reveals Barnor’s flair for fashion and reportage. Having studied photography at Medway College of Art after his arrival in 1959, he quickly found assignments with influential magazines, shooting models of all backgrounds for covers and editorial stories. Eva illustrates the photographer’s skill in using light, composition, and context to celebrate the poise and confidence of his sitters. Here, Eva is depicted in an urban setting that is unmistakably modern, suggesting both the newfound freedoms—the changing roles, attitudes and aesthetics—of a multicultural London on the rise.

Distinctively, Barnor’s UK works chronicle an era often left out of mainstream photographic history: the emergence of Black British style and identity, as well as the interactions between Africa and Europe. His informal, fashion-forward approach distinguishes Eva within his vast body of work, focusing as much on the burgeoning self-assurance of Black women in Britain as on the world they were helping to shape.

Together, these two lots, from different continents and decades, form a powerful narrative about change, identity, and aspiration. They highlight Barnor’s extraordinary ability to tune his camera to the spirit of his time, whether in the studio or on the city streets, and his lifelong dedication to championing both African and diasporic stories through the art of photography.