’Mmmmm’, by Koto Bolofo at Colette, Paris

Three portrait black rimmed frames hanging against a white wall in an exhibition. Left frame features 6 images of black men with different hair cuts. Middle frame features the image of a shell. Right frame features the image of a caucasian women in black with her eyes closed

'Mmmmm' is an exhibition currently on show at Colette in Paris, featuring a selection of forty photographs lovingly selected by photographer Koto Bolofo

(Image credit: Kofo Bolofo)

By Alex Moore

last updated 6 August 2022

A disenchanted Koto Bolofo had spent weeks 'practising drawing straight lines and round circles' at art college in London when he was first introduced to a 3-week compressed photography lesson in his second year. An inaugural trip to the dark room, where he witnessed gelatin-silver paper suddenly develop into a visible image, blew his mind. For him, the process was like ancient sorcery - an act of ‘voodoo’ that cast a spell and influenced his illustrious career behind the lens.

Unflinchingly true to the voodoo of analogue photography, commercial work hasn’t always satisfied Bolofo. Aside from his prestigious magazine and advertising work, he’s strived to create an independent body of timeless photography, for his own pleasure. Colette's art director Sarah Andelman, who had privileged glimpses of Bolofo’s more personal collection, convinced him to exhibit a selection of his unseen work.

Mmmmm at Colette presents a selection of forty photographs lovingly selected by Bolofo. Images from his first book ‘Air’, a photographic illustration of a poem by Robert Bridges, are shown alongside a collection of unpublished recreational photography from the 1980s and 1990s. Described by Bolofo as ‘painting with light’, Mmmmm is an exhibition of exactly what he set out to achieve – timeless photography.

6 framed images in the corner of the exibithion room, hanging on a white wall — A collection of unpublished recreational photography from the 1980s and 1990s sits alongside photographs from Bolofo's first book ‘Air’, which is a photographic illustration of a poem by Robert Bridges

A blurred image of a caucasian women wearing black and smiling — 'Alina', by Koto Bolofo, part of his unpublished recreational photography collection from the 1980s and 1990s

A wall display of 5 framed images haniging on the white wall in an exhibition — Colette's art director Sarah Andelman, who had privileged glimpses of Bolofo’s more personal collection, convinced him to exhibit a selection of his unseen work

A faceless woman laying in the fields wearing white knickers. — 'Knickers', by Koto Bolofo, part of his unpublished recreational photography collection from the 1980s and 1990s

A pool of water with rain ripples — 'Rain', by Koto Bolofo, part of his unpublished recreational photography collection from the 1980s and 1990s

image captured from the corner room of an exhibition showing the frames images on a wall of an angle. — After weeks spent practising drawing straight lines and round circles at art college in London, it was an inaugural trip to the dark room that blew Bolofo's mind

An wall display of framed images on a white wall in an exhibition room with white ceiling and brown floors — Aside from his prestigious magazine and advertising work, Bolofo has strived to create an independent body of timeless photography, for his own pleasure

A nude image of a caucasian woman with her hands folder showing only her mid region — 'Ruzza', by Koto Bolofo, part of his unpublished recreational photography collection from the 1980s and 1990s

A collage of 9 images of black men in different hair cuts showing facing different directions. — 'Soweto', by Koto Bolofo, part of his unpublished recreational photography collection from the 1980s and 1990s

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