Namsa Leuba
Namsa Leuba is a Swiss-Guinean photographer born in 1982 in Switzerland. Her work explores the intersection between African and Western cultures and challenges preconceptions and stereotypes and seeks to showcase the diversity of African cultures in a fresh and innovative way. Her photography often draws on her Guinean heritage, using traditional dress and objects to explore themes of identity, gender and spirituality.
Through her photographs, she creates a dialogue between the traditional and the contemporary, while also highlighting the importance of preserving cultural heritage.She uses her art to question and subvert dominant narratives, challenging viewers to see African culture in a new and more nuanced light.
In addition to her photographic work, Namsa Leuba is also known for her ability to collaborate with communities, working with local artisans and designers to create costumes and props that capture the essence of the culture she is portraying. This approach enables her to take truly authentic photographs.
Namsa has exhibited her work at various international galleries and institutions, including the Musée de l'Elysée in Switzerland, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Her photographs continue to inspire and challenge audiences, provoking important conversations about cultural identity and representation in contemporary art.
Published books
- Crossed Looks, Monography Namsa LEUBA, ed. Damiani/ Hasley institute, 2021
Personal exhibitions (selection)
- La Nuit de la photo, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, 2023
- New Black Vanguard, Aperture, Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, United States, 2023
- New Black Vanguard, Aperture, MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS, Le Locle, Switzerland, 2022
- New Black Vanguard, Aperture, Cleveland Museum of Art, United States, 2021
- 6th edition of the Photo Vogue Festival, Milan, Italy, 2021
- The New Black Vanguard, Aperture, Les rencontres d'Arles, France, 2021
- The female gaze through the prism of the female photographer’s eye, the Collectors Lounge La prairie at Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland, 2019
- Foam Talent, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt, Germany, 2018
- Art Paris, Art Twenty One, France, 2017
- Paris Photo, Incamera, Ya Kala Ben & Kingdom of Mountain, France, 2016
- Mossless 4, Public, Private, Portrait, ICP Museum, New York, United States, 2016
- The Armory Show Art Fair, Art Twenty One, New York, United States, 2015
- Photo Quai - Quai Branly Museum Paris, France, 2015
- Lagos Photo festival, Ya Kala Ben, Lagos, Nigeria, 2013
- APhF:12 Athens Photo Festival, Athens, Greece, 2012
- Planche(s) contact, Deauville, France, 2009
Collective exhibitions (selection)
- Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art College, Charleston, United States, 2021
- Vahine, Boogie Wall, London, United Kingdom, 2020
- Hangar, Bruxelles, Belgium, 2018
- Namsa Leuba, Incamera, Paris, France, 2016
- Namsa Leuba, Art Twenty One, Lagos, Nigeria, 2016
- Mmabatho, University of Fribourg, Switzerland, 2016
Awards
- LensCulture Exposure, United States, 2018
- Foam Talent - Young artists shaping the future of photography, Netherlands, 2017
- PDN's 2013 Photo Annual Award Winners - PDN Photo Annual, United States, 2013