Yassmin Forte (b. 1980, Degree in Communication Sciences, ISPU)
Yassmin Forte was born in 1980 in Quelimane, in the Zambézia province of Mozambique, and has lived in Maputo since 1986. She holds a degree in Communication Sciences, specializing in Public Relations and Journalism, from the Higher Polytechnic and University Institute (ISPU) of Maputo. Alongside her professional role as a Marketing Specialist at Radio Mozambique, Yassmin has established herself as a prominent Mozambican photographer whose work reflects her deep engagement with themes of identity, womanhood, and contemporary life in Mozambique.
Her photographic journey began through formal training with Jorge Almeida at Zeta Photo and at the Photographic Training Center in Maputo (2011–2012). Since then, she has developed a distinctive visual language that merges documentary and artistic sensibilities, often portraying women and everyday social realities with empathy and aesthetic sensitivity.
Yassmin has presented eight solo exhibitions to date, including Public Transport in Mozambique (2025), Capulana, Tradition and Art of Mozambican Women (2024), and The Women of My Land (2024), all hosted virtually by the Virtual Museum of Lusophony (Portugal). Earlier solo shows include KINANI (Inatel, Porto, 2018), Women with Style (Maputo, 2017), and Tufo da Mafalala (CCBM, Maputo, 2016). Her group exhibition record is extensive, spanning over twenty international and national showcases, among them PhotoVille (New York, 2024), PhotoLondon (Somerset House, 2024), Afrotópias (ULB Campus Solbosch, Brussels, 2025), Afrometropolis in Motion (Barcelona, 2021), and Everything Everyone Always (Johannesburg, 2022). Her work has also been shown at the Museu Nacional de Arte (Maputo), the Center for Iberian Studies (Portugal), and in cross-continental collaborations across Africa, Europe, and Latin America.
Yassmin’s practice extends beyond photography into curatorial work, having curated exhibitions such as Fishing Port by Mário Secca and From: Catchupa To: Matapa (Franco-Mozambican Cultural Center). She has participated in several residencies, including Catchupa Factory (Cape Verde, 2018), UpCycle (Maputo, 2021), Gineceu 2 (Maputo, 2022), and Artística Virtual (Brazil, 2025). Her artistic excellence has been widely recognized with multiple awards, including the Cap Prize (2023), the Best Future Award (2023), the Mozal Arts and Culture Award (2019), and 1st Place in the Inclusion in Diversity Competition (Portugal, 2018). She was named one of BANTUMEN’s 100 Influential Black Figures in 2024 and shortlisted for the Images Vevey Book Award (Switzerland, 2025–2026).
Her photography has been featured in leading publications such as The Guardian, The Eyes, Camera Austria Graz, Mundo Crítico, and Tombe online magazine, among others. Yassmin continues to live and work in Maputo, Mozambique, contributing powerfully to the visibility of Mozambican photography on a global stage. Her work offers both intimate and critical reflections on cultural identity, femininity, and the rhythms of daily life — creating a vital dialogue between tradition and contemporary visual storytelling.
