Born in Sudan, Rashid Mahdi was one of the leading African photographers of the 20th century. Early on his career, he developed a unique photographic system and continued to use it throughout his life. Exquisitely realised using makeup and lighting, his portraits take on the sense of movie stills. Well in advance of the publication of Ansel Adams’ zone system, Mahdi’s careful control of his prints’ exposure and development reveals the desired details within both shadows and highlights. The sophistication of his process is intertwined with his affection for poetry. Through his meticulously applied methods, he humbly but definitively attained the highest level of portraiture. Mahdi’s photographs have been shown globally in France, Morocco, Belgium and Mali.