Black Archives Sweden is excited to present James Barnor: Transmissions, an outdoor exhibition celebrating the pioneering work of Ghanaian photographer James Barnor. This exhibition is the first large-scale public display of Barnor’s extensive photographic archive in Sweden. The presentation spreads across multiple venues in Skåne emphasising Barnor’s influential role in capturing evolving narratives from the African continent and Black diasporic communities. It is accompanied by Makda Embaie’s commissioned poem, “I remember all of you”.
The exhibition is inspired by Black Archives Sweden’s Family Archive collection, which is dedicated to sustaining diasporic life in Sweden through experimentation, care, and communal activation. The Family Archive calls attention to aspects of Black history and the present day often overlooked by state archives.
James Barnor's career spans over six decades, his photographs offer a vital window into the sweeping social changes of the post-war era. Born in 1929, Barnor became Ghana's first newspaper photographer, documenting the nation’s political and social shifts before independence.
In 1959, he moved to London, where he captured the vibrant lives and cultures of African people in Britain. His photographs were published in Drum, a Black lifestyle magazine founded in South Africa in 1951 that played a crucial role in the anti-apartheid movement. His photographs from that time offer a rare look at both the everyday and the remarkable facets of diasporic life, creating an invaluable visual record of the shifting identities of African communities. Through his lens, Barnor recorded societies in the midst of transformation, and his work remains a powerful archive of post-colonial histories. More than a photographer, Barnor is a storyteller, engaging audiences with reflections on identity, migration, and belonging in a world increasingly connected. In recent years, his work has gained significant international recognition for its thoughtful portrayal of a critical era in the 20th century.
James Barnor: Transmissions invites viewers to explore his incredible journey and delve into the complex narrative of Black diasporic life, offering a perspective on modern history that has often been overlooked.
Credits
Curators: Tawanda Appiah och Ulrika Flink
Exhibition producers: Jonelle Twum, Susannah Young, Marika Reuterswärd, and Ellen Klintenberg
Communications: Zawadi Odenyo, Therese Vorbau, Johanna Theander/Jennie Lindholm, Isac Nordgren Jonasson
Graphic designer: Lina Forsgren
Web developer: Oliver Manzi
Poem: “I remember all of you” by Makda Embaie
Photographs: © James Barnor / Courtesy of Galerie Clémentine de la Féronnière, Paris.
The exhibition is funded by Region Skåne and The Swedish Arts Council.
The exhibition is a collaboration between Black Archives Sweden, Dunkers kulturhus, Kristianstads konsthall/Regionmuseet Kristianstad, and Ystads konstmuseum.
The exhibition can be seen at Dunkers kulturhus, Kristianstads konsthall/Regionmuseet Kristianstad and Bollen ( Jennygatan 6, Ystad).
