Someone Somewhere Beyond

A Photo Reportage from the 16 Regions

In partnership with the French Embassy in Ghana and Alliance Française Accra, the James Barnor 95 Festival proudly presents Someone Somewhere Beyond: A Photo Reportage from the 16 Regions—a groundbreaking photography exhibition originally commissioned for last year’s landmark James Barnor 95 celebrations.

After its acclaimed 2024 debut, the exhibition now tours six of Ghana’s regions, having opened at internationally renowned artist Ibrahim Mahama’s Red Clay Studios on March 29. The project bridges generations by pairing Barnor’s enduring influence with bold new perspectives from 16 emerging photographers.

Curated by cultural historian Menenaba, Someone Somewhere Beyond features one rising artist from each of Ghana’s 16 regions. Through their lenses—shaped by Barnor’s revolutionary approach to documentary photography—they capture the textures of everyday life, from bustling markets to intimate rituals. Together, the works affirm both regional diversity and shared identity: a theme central to Barnor’s six-decade career.

Date: Saturday, 4 October 2025
Venue: Alliance Française Grounds
Time: 6 PM GMT

BACKGROUND

Coinciding with James Barnor’s 95th birthday, the James Barnor 95 Festival took place across Ghana from May to June 2024. Conceived as an open dialogue between Barnor’s vast photographic archive and contemporary Ghanaian culture, the festival unfolded across galleries, public institutions, and outdoor spaces. Its program combined exhibitions, concerts, screenings, discussions, workshops, and installations—inviting a new generation of audiences to engage with the work of Ghana’s greatest living photographer.

Among its highlights was Someone Somewhere Beyond, now traveling nationwide to extend the festival’s spirit of dialogue and discovery.

CURATORIAL STATEMENT — Menenaba

At nearly 96, James Barnor’s legacy continues to shape the visual culture of Ghana and the world. His career has been defined by an ability to immortalize everyday life with profound dignity and artistry.

Someone Somewhere Beyond celebrates this monumental influence through the eyes of 16 young documentary photographers, each representing one of Ghana’s regions. Their collective work forms a portrait of the nation—capturing moments of joy, labor, ritual, and rest—that feels at once deeply local and universally human.

From the camaraderie of women at a funeral, to the playful exhaustion of children cycling to a dam, to the regal presence of a king seated in state, the exhibition opens a window into Ghana’s “family home”—a metaphor Barnor himself framed with unmatched grace.

The photographers’ reverence for Barnor is evident throughout. His techniques and vision have become so ingrained in Ghana’s photographic DNA that many absorbed his influence before they fully recognized it. Barnor’s ability to transform ordinary people into protagonists of their own stories remains alive in this new generation.

Through their unique voices, these 16 photographers reinterpret Barnor’s vision for a contemporary audience—documenting markets, festivals, landscapes, and intimate encounters. In doing so, they adorn the “home” Barnor opened to the world with fresh images of beauty, resilience, and belonging.

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHERS

001 — Michael Ekow Dawson
Green Gold (2023)
“This woman in Sapporo trains the younger generation to embrace agricultural wealth, transforming overlooked natural resources into prosperity.”

Dawson is a travel and documentary photographer whose practice centers people, culture, and heritage. Currently on a motorbike tour of 37 African countries, he seeks to build a photographic legacy that preserves the essence of African communities.

002 — Senanu Asante
Kickbox (2018)
“At the Accra Sports Stadium, the National Kickboxing Team trains.”

Based in Kumasi, Asante has transformed his love for photography into a thriving career, producing portrait, landscape, and street images that tell powerful visual stories.

003 — Agbongua Kwadwo Buenortey
Sisterhood in Sorrow (2024)
“Standing strong together. Ada-Foah Cemetery, January 27, 2023.”

A filmmaker and photographer rediscovering his Dangme heritage, Buenortey’s practice uplifts cultural traditions and narratives often overlooked. A recent graduate of the Dikan Photography and Documentary Practice Program.

004 — Walter Wanye
Gologo (2021)
“Captured during the rare pre-harvest Golib festival of the Talensi people in Yinduri, Upper East.”

A self-taught photographer, Wanye focuses on preserving cultural moments and emotional depth through imagery.

005 — Jude Lartey
Untitled (2023)
“Jamestown, Greater Accra Region. January 6, 2023.”

At only 24, Lartey crafts cinematic portraits that embody the dreams, fashions, and resilience of his generation, balancing documentary practice with work in fashion and art direction.