Artists

Fabrice Monteiro is a photographer and visual artist whose work moves between photojournalism, portraiture, and fashion photography to address questions of identity, history, and environmental crisis. Born in Belgium to a Beninese father and Belgian mother, and raised in Benin, Monteiro identifies as Agouda—a descendant of Brazilian slaves who returned to Africa. His multicultural heritage and lived experience navigating African-European relations are central to his practice.

Monteiro worked for nearly a decade as a professional model before moving behind the camera in 2007, bringing with him an acute awareness of posture, light, and composition. His acclaimed series The Prophecy (2013–), created in collaboration with Senegalese designer Doulsy, stages otherworldly figures inspired by West African masquerades in polluted landscapes across Senegal and beyond. Constructed from refuse and natural materials, these costumed characters dramatize issues such as plastic waste, oil spills, and deforestation while warning of humanity’s precarious future.

In his more recent series 8 Mile Wall, Monteiro investigates colonial stereotypes and the ways Africans were historically displayed, inspired by a formative conversation with his father about respectability and race in Europe. Across projects, his practice uses photography as both cultural critique and personal therapy, balancing beauty and confrontation to provoke reflection and dialogue.

Monteiro’s work has been exhibited internationally, contributing to a growing global conversation about postcolonial identity, ecological urgency, and Africa’s place in shaping the future.