Barbara Minishi

Updated on Dec 15, 2023

Edit

Comment

Nationality Kenya

Occupation Photographer and art director Website barbaraminishiphotography.com/art-direction-1/

Artscape the new african photography barbara minishi

Barbara Minishi is a Kenyan fashion photographer and art director with an interest in visual arts. As art director she has worked on films and a music video, and also for Kapringen (A Hijacking), a Danish feature film from 2003. In Kenya, she is among the most highly regarded professional fashion photographers. Minishi's photo series has been featured in the book 9 Photographers from Kenya published in association with the National Museums of Kenya.

Barbara Minishi Interview with Kenyan Female Photographer Barbara Minishi OkayAfrica

Biography

Barbara Minishi The new African Photography Barbara Minishi M I R I A M T R

Barbara Minishi, from Nairobi, Kenya, graduated in 2003 with a BA degree in communication. She also completed a diploma in marketing. Then she started her career as a professional fashion photographer. Reading LIFE magazines gave her the inspiration to become a professional in the field of photography, which for her was "creative visual storytelling". She trained at the "One Fine Day Films Africa" for one year in 2010 in the field of film production and design. Following this training, she pursued her career as a photographer and art director. She had plans to continue her education from 2014 to earn an MFA degree.

Minishi launched a photographic campaign in March 2013 in advance of the 2013 Kenyan general election dubbed "The Red Dress". In the series, Minishi photographed women from across Kenya wearing the same red dress. She viewed the project, which included photos of female presidential candidate Martha Karua and Minishi's own mother, as making a statement for national unity before the general election. She feels that Africa has been misrepresented for a long time, saying,: "Don't look at Africa and think one thing. How come this view of Africa is always the soldier or the starving child?" The campaign photo series was telecast on the Al Jazeera (JSC) Satellite Channel. Her "Café shoot" at the Artcaffe with the café-bistro decor considered as "modern and old school romantic” have been popular.