"My parents were my earliest teachers on the importance of memory. My father, an engineer with the spirit of an archivist, carefully preserved the small details of our family's journey, while my mother, who worked in a photo studio, kept our family albums alive. Their quiet dedication to capturing our lives ignited my own passion for photography. After a period of study in Turkey, I realized how little the world knew about Sierra Leone beyond its history of conflict."
"Their quiet dedication to capturing our lives ignited my own passion for photography. After a period of study in Turkey, I realized how little the world knew about Sierra Leone beyond its history of conflict. I felt a pull to return home and document the richness of our everyday lives-to show the world a side of Sierra Leone that is often unseen."
Abdul Hamid Kanu is a photographer from Freetown, Sierra Leone, who returned home in 2020 and adopted photography as a tool for documenting and reconnecting with his city, people, and self. His practice centers on everyday moments that reveal identity, tracing where the personal meets the collective. Kanu explores themes of belonging, memory, and history, working primarily in black-and-white to preserve texture and atmosphere. Family influences and study abroad in Turkey motivated his return and his desire to show Sierra Leone beyond conflict narratives. Kanu was shortlisted for the 2025 Booooooom Art & Photo Book Award.
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