Of Sky, Water and Skin: Photographs from a Zanzibari Darkroom

Photographic archives from Zanzibar's Capital Art Studio reveal new dimensions of visual history and cultural identity. By focusing on images developed in the Oza family's darkroom (1930–present), the study exposes how darkness—both literal and metaphorical—shapes photographic aesthetics, materiality, and historical narratives. It highlights Zanzibar's oceanic islandness through depictions of sky, water, and skin, while also examining the political disruptions of the 1964 Revolution, which temporarily halted photographic practices under the Afro-Shirazi regime. The research employs a conceptual framing of darkness to recontextualize African photography, challenging traditional narratives of light and mechanical reproduction.

Gupta, P. (2020). Of Sky, Water and Skin: Photographs from a Zanzibari Darkroom. Kronos, 46(1), 266–280. https://doi.org/10.17159/2309-9585/2020/v46a12