Alick Phiri's monochrome portraits portray the truths of post-colonial Zambia's society
In the heart of Lusaka, the Everyday Lusaka Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition titled I'll Be Your Mirror. This remarkable showcase features the works of Alick Phiri, a Zambian photographer whose career, spanning over five decades, has had a profound impact on the visual representation of Lusaka and post-colonial Zambia.
During Alick Phiri's time, processing colour photographs was not common in Lusaka. His images were often sent to East Africa or Bulawayo for development. However, Phiri's persistence and passion for photography led him to launch his own studio, 'Kwacha Photo Studio', in Kanyama, Lusaka, by 1983.
Phiri's studio focused on creating black and white portraits for families, capturing post-colonial Zambia in a unique and intimate way. His studio was one of a few Black Zambian and Congolese studios in Lusaka during the 80s.
The exhibition I'll Be Your Mirror marks Phiri's public debut in Lusaka. It is a collaboration with South African photographer William Matlala and highlights both photographers' careers. Alongside the exhibition is the debut photobook by Alick Phiri and Sana Ginwalla titled Lusaka Street.
Sana Ginwalla, the curator, felt a sense of urgency to show Phiri's work during his lifetime. She aims to honour the generational links between Mr. Patel, Phiri's mentor at Lusaka's Photo Art Studios, Alick Phiri, Fine Art Studios, and Zambia Belonging.
Phiri's work, previously considered useless by his wife, has been preserved and is now showcased in this exhibition. His images uniquely capture the social, cultural, and urban evolution of Lusaka through an insider’s lens, reflecting Zambia’s post-colonial identity and everyday realities.
Phiri is recognized for chronicling Lusaka's streets and people in a way that challenges colonial visual narratives, highlighting local experiences, environments, and aspirations. His recent debut book Lusaka Street and this exhibition illustrate his lifelong commitment to visually narrating Zambia’s urban life and post-colonial cultural memory.
By professionally trained black photographic practice from the early independence era, Phiri’s oeuvre contributed to a decolonized visual archive that centers indigenous viewpoints rather than colonial or outsider gazes. His collaborations with contemporary Zambian artists and curators further position his work within ongoing dialogues about identity, modernity, and memory in Lusaka and Zambia more broadly.
The exhibition I'll Be Your Mirror is open until 9 August, 2025, at Everyday Lusaka Gallery. It serves as a testament to Phiri's significant contribution to Zambian photography and a celebration of his unique perspective on Lusaka's transformation over the years.
Home-and-garden photography played a significant role in Alick Phiri's studio, 'Kwacha Photo Studio', which focused on creating black and white portraits for families, capturing post-colonial Zambia in a unique and intimate way. The exhibition I'll Be Your Mirror showcases these home-and-garden scenes, providing a glimpse into the lifestyle of Zambian families during that period, reflecting Zambia’s post-colonial identity and everyday realities.
