The Gerard Sekoto Gallery at the Alliance Francaise in Parkview presents this fascinating photographic snapshot of some of the most iconic work of Ghanaian photographer James Barnor, who is considered a pioneer of African photography.

Life According to James Barnor presents a joyful snapshot of West Africa in the years after independence. In 1957 Ghana became the first African country to gain independence from European colonial powers and it was in the years following independence that Barnor began his career as a photographer, taking portraits of ordinary Ghanaians in his Accra studio.

In the swinging 1960s Barnor moved to London and worked as a photographer for the international edition of South Africa's famous Drum magazine. Back in Ghana he continued to lead photo shoots with the magazine's cover girls and worked as a photojournalist snapping images of visiting dignitaries, celebrities, sportsmen and presidents including Mohammed Ali and President Nixon. 

An engaging series of portraits that are characterised by the sense freedom and the joy of life shared by the subjects in Barnor's photographs, this is a beautiful look back into Africa's recent history.