Seif Kousmate (1988) is a visual artist born in Essaouira and living in Tangier, Morocco. In 2014, he quit his civil engineering career and bought his first camera at 26.
As a self-taught artist, he began his journey into photography by exploring documentary photography. His lens was focused on capturing the diverse manifestations of marginalization in Africa.
His early projects served as a platform for the narratives of Rwandan youth post-genocide, formerly enslaved people in Mauritania (Haratins), and Subsaharian migrants in search of a better life in Europe.
In Morocco, Seif's work revolved around Boujloud celebrations and documented the lives in the Atlas Mountains facing climate change. He is currently working on his series "Waha واحة " and his first monograph, a four-year essay on the oases and the changes they are facing.
Seif's artistic practice has evolved over the past decade, now intersecting with contemporary art and photography. His upcoming project explores masculinity and fatherhood, pushing the boundaries of photography into the realm of installation artwork and video.
He co-founded KOZ collective in 2020.
Awards & Grants:
2024- Winner of Portrait of Humanity with "Waha".
2024- Nominated for Prix Elysée 2025.
2023-Shortlisted for Publishing Ecology The Loose Joints and Mahler & LeWitt Studios Publishing Award.
2022-Winner of Prix de la photographie du Musée Quai Branly with «Waha».
2022-Pro Helvetia grant, Project with Collective 220 and KOZ Collective - Cairo, Egypt.
2022-Nominated for the leica oskar barnack award.
2022-Shortlisted for LOUIS ROEDERER DISCOVERY AWARD.
2022-Selected as a Foam Talents - 2022
2021-Winner of the 6Mois Award with «Waha».
2021-Finalist of le Prix Levallois with «Waha» .
2020-Arab Documentary Photography Program - Magnum Foundation/Prince Claus Fund/AFAC Grant.
2020-6X6 Africa Global Talent by World Press Photo.
2020-New York Portfolio Review by the New York Times.
2020-Shortlisted for CAP Prize - Switzerland.
2019-Winner of the photographic meetings Face à la Mer in Tangier.
2019-Shortlisted for Direct Look in Russia.
2018-National Geographic Society grant to pursue my long-term work on migration in Africa.
2018-Nominated for the Joop Swart Masterclass by World Press Photo.
2018-Nominated for the 6X6 Africa Global Talent Program by World Press Photo.
Exhibitions:
2025
-Waha- Institut Français de Casablanca, Morocco.
-Waha- Institut Français d'Oujda- Figuig, Morocco.
-Waha- Institut Français de Marrakech, Morocco.
-Waha- Institut Français d'Agadir, Morocco.
2024
-Waha- Indian Photo Festival, India.
-Men vs Fathers- Paris Photo, France.
-Waha- Four Corners London,UK.
-Waha- APHF24 ,Benaki Mesuem, Greece.
-Waha- Yeast photo festival , Italy.
-Waha- Raneen, Oman.
-Waha- Fotofestiwal Łódź’s Night of Photography, Poland.
-Waha- Institut Français d'essaouira, Morocco.
-Waha- Points of resonance The Africa Center, NYC, USA.
-Waha- Artsonje Center Seoul , Korea.
-Waha -Copenhagen photo festival, Denmark.
-Waha - Photoville festival, NYC, USA.
2023
-Waha Points of Resonance: Contemporary Photography in Africa by TINTERA gallery- Cairo, Egypt.
-Waha- Casa Arabe Cordoba- Cordoba, Spain.
-Waha-PHotoESPAÑA 2023 Festival at Casa Árabe- Madrid, Spain.
-Waha-Contact photography Festival - Toronto, Canada.
-Waha- San José Foto- San jose, Uruguay.
-Waha- The Henie Onstad Triennial for Photography- Oslo, Norway.
-Waha- Deutsche Börse photography foundation - Frankfurt, Germany.
2022
-Waha- Jaou Photo Tunis, Tunisia.
-Waha- Bronx Documentary Art Center - New York, USA.
-Waha- Mishat Festival - Oslo, Norway.
-Waha- Foam Museum- Amsterdam, Nederland.
-Waha- Face à la mer- French institute of Tangier Morocco.
-Waha- More Than Your Eyes Can See, Middle East Institute Arts and Culture Center Gallery - Washington D.C, USA.
-Waha- Palmier Fatigué, Le Cube - Rabat, Morocco.
-Rwandan Youth- Rencontres de Bamako - Bamako, Mali.
-Waha- Rencontres d'Arles - Prix Découverte Louis Roederer 2022 - Arles, France.
2021
-Haratins - La friche belle de Mai - Marseille, France.
-Waha - Humburg Portfolio review - Humburg, Germany.
-Haratins- Institut du monde arabe - Tourcoing, France.
-Tempus Figus- Musée Abderrahmane Slaoui - Casablanca, Morocco.
2020
-Tempus Figus- Museum of African Contemporary Art (Macaal) - Marrakech, Morocco.
2019
-Six meters from the dreamland-The foundation of photography of Tangier -Tangier, Morocco.
-Rwandan Youth-The 20th edition of Barrobjectif - Barro, France.
-Rwandan Youth-The 3rd edition of Incadaces - Cadaces, Spain.
-Rwandan Youth-Les nuits photographique d’Essaouira- Essaouira, Morocco.
2018
-Six meters from the dreamland-The Addis Foto Fest Ethiopië Festival- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Six meters from the dreamland-Derbe 18 Marrakech Gallery - Marrakech, Morocco.
Workshops & Lectures:
2024-Lecture for Live magazine - Paris, France.
2024-Lecture for Live magazine - Rabat, Morocco.
2024-Lecture for Live magazine - Casablanca, Morocco.
2024-Lecture for Live magazine - Marrakech, Morocco.
2023-Lecture at Quai Branly Museum - Paris, France.
2023-KOZ Talks at the American Arts Center - Casablanca, Morocco.
2022-Lecture at Mishat Festival - Oslo, Norway.
2022-Speaker at a conference in Arles 2022 about “PHOTOGRAPHIER SUR LECONTINENT AFRICAIN:COMMENT DÉPASSER LES FRONTIÈRES DUVISIBLE?”
2021-Qisas a one week photography workshop with teenagers at la Cinemathèque deTanger- Tangier, Morocco.
2021- Three months of photography workshops with teenagers at the cultural center Les Étoilesdu détroit- Tangier, Morocco.
2021-A Masterclass about documentary photography at l’Uzine foundation- Casablanca, Morocco.
2020-A collaborative work for the TEDxYaba Nigeria.
2019-A photography workshop with teenagers at the cultural center Les Étoilesde Sidi Moumen- Casablanca, Morocco.
2019-Speaker at the Forum of humans rights at the festival Gnaoua- Essaouira, Morocco.
2019-Speaker at a conference about documentary photography in North Africa by Photo Doc- Paris, France.
Publications:
M le magazine du Monde, The New York Times, Newsweek, Financial Times, L'OBS, The Guardian, El pais, NZZ, Libération, GUP magazine, Le Point, Le Vif, Jeune Afrique, La Croix, La Vie, Le Desk, The New Humanitarian...