Malick Sidibé

Known for: documentary photography of Malian youth culture in the 1960s and 1970s

Malick Sidibé documented the social life of Bamako's youth in the 1960s and 1970s — at outdoor dances, beach parties, and river excursions — at a moment of national optimism following independence from France. He was awarded the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Biennale in 2007, the first photographer and first African artist to receive the honor. He continued working in Bamako until near the end of his life.