Baudouin Mouanda
Baudouin Mouanda was born in 1981 in Ouesso, Republic of Congo, and currently lives and works in Brazzaville. An internationally renowned photographer, he is also the founder and coordinator of the Classpro-Culture Center. Mouanda collaborates with leading publications such as Jeune Afrique, Afrique Magazine, Le Monde, L’Express Styles, and L’Humanité.
He began his career in 1993, documenting life in Brazzaville through photographic chronicles. His work gained wider recognition in 2003 when he received the Spector Prize, marking the start of his international presence. From 2001, he developed the photo series “The Aftermath of War”, reflecting on the Congolese civil wars of 1993–1997 and 1998.
In 2005, Mouanda co-founded the collective Génération Lili, aimed at supporting Congolese photographers, and later joined Afrique in Visu. In 2009, he received his first research residency in Libreville, Gabon, supported by the Visa for Creation from the Institut Français in Paris, to advance his project on Hip Hop and Society, which he later presented at the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie d’Arles in 2010.
Between 2014 and 2015, Mouanda exhibited widely across Belgium, Congo, the USA, Morocco, Switzerland, and Japan. From 2016 to 2021, his international recognition continued to grow, earning multiple awards. Notable exhibitions include “Les Sapeurs de Bacongo” at the 14th Gacilly International Festival (France), “Les Fantômes de Corniche” at the National Library of Israel, and the 10th Photographic Season of the Abbaye Royale de l’Épau (France).
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Mouanda focused on climate change and its impact on his country. In the series “Ciel de Saison”, he documents Brazzaville residents posing with their belongings in flooded areas, raising awareness of environmental challenges. This series earned him the Roger-Pic Prize in 2022.
With over twenty international awards, Baudouin Mouanda is one of the most prolific and acclaimed Congolese photographers of his generation. Known for his powerful narratives both in Congo and abroad, his work highlights the everyday lives of people in Africa, capturing moments that are both intimate and universally resonant.
