New Telegraph

Once Upon a Time, photo exhibition highlighting human experiences, opens in Lagos

 

 

A photography exhibition designed to highlight human experiences from adolescence to adulthood in typical Nigerian environment, opened last Saturday at the Yacht Hotel, 17 Admiralty Road, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. Titled ‘Once Upon a Time’, the exhibition features works by four Nigerian artists – Godstime Uche Godfrey, Oluwayemisi Onadipe, Adegbola Adetayo and Francisca Willy.

The exhibition presents to the audience new perspectives in photography and juxtaposes these with classic or traditional photography. Notes Udemma Chukwuma, who is the curator of the photography exhibition, it is an excursion into the history and development of photography as an art form.

According to her, in this photography exhibition, the expression depicts what the participating photo artists have captured over a period of time in their lives which have become beautiful memories that once were upon a time. “Once Upon a Time displays works created using the latest techniques in photography. The exhibition presents to the audience new perspectives in photography and juxtaposes these with classic or traditional photography.

It is a curatorial excursion into the history and development of photography as an art form. These works on display negotiate their presences into the viewer’s experiential space through shared appeals and other evocative elements of de ja vu. “The artists featured in the exhibition: Godstime Uche Godfrey, Oluwayemisi Onadipe, Adegbola Adetayo and Francisca Willy, were selected for their innovative uses of creative techniques and technology to communicate and document.

They focus primarily on visual identity, fashion, landscape, portraiture, abstraction and still photography. Their works present examples of how change is constant and inevitable, reminding us that nothing remains forever as change happens in the present, not the past or future. The images exhibited have earned their spots on the wall by dint of pure art and exceptional skills.”

Conceptual photographer, Godstime Uche Godfrey recreates nature indoors, he illustrates his idea with symbolism and human figOnce    Limitedures, especially women. He avers that “people appreciate works with female subjects than male subjects, except in a situation where a male subject will pass the message better.” His works represent photography’s equivalence of eclecticism.

His play with different elements gives his works the latitude to project and explore myriad themes and tropes. Among his pieces are subjects on human rights violations, addiction, gender inequality, socio-political and socio-economic issues. In addition to these are also abstract and philosophical themes.

Onadipe, a documentary photographer, is passionate about documenting the daily activities of people in Lagos. She captures the struggles of the common man. In her ‘Rainy Day series’, notes Chukwuma, you could see, through lucid lenses, images of people, who pursue their daily activities in the rain.

“She establishes clear visual narratology by deploying an artistic skill that enables her to deemphasize certain elements while highlighting others. This technique controls the viewers focus and shapes his perspective.

She takes the viewer beyond the usual two-dimensionality of the picture frames by tunneling into deeper and subtle layers of meanings and visual idioms. Her penchant for parading visually graded details is unique and imbues the viewer with a desire to take second and third looks at her exhibits.

Many of her works are debuting with ‘Once Upon a Time’ and are thus being shown to the public for the first time. Adetayo’s works are timeless and elegant, one may mistake him for a fashion photographer. He is versatile: a documentary, conceptual and fine art photographer.

“One of his most notable works is a piece titled Bloom. It is both a curious and visceral image depicting a young man whose head is separated from his body. A side view portraiture of a young man spotting well-delineated tribal marks captured tradition and heritage while his presentation of this image in black and white situated it in a past time.

“He is inspired by people and the environment. As a teenager with a zeal for art, he saw photography as an avenue of expressing himself. He is currently exploring the use of photography and other digital medium to document and tell stories which are based on his visual experiences. His exploration further underscores the importance of culture, story telling, the curation of beauty and nature.” As a documentary photographer, Francisca Willy explores every subject, living and non living.

In Once Upon a Time, she presents her Naija Delta series which captures the rhythms of time and place-making amongst riverine communities. Her extensive documentations of this place bespeak of splendor and the myriad shades of meanings, environmental moods, weather and climates.

Her subjects are handled with a sense of composition albeit conceptually articulated from pre-existing elements and scenes thus transposing originality to widely available scenes and themes. She tells her stories in black and white, attenuating meanings and discourses with seemingly inexhaustible shades of grey.

“From its sojourn over two centuries, through private albums, post cards, billboards, books and magazines, photography has marked its evolutionary mileage through the interplay between the creative skills of photographers and the the brokerage of possibilities by technology. Therefore, the debate concerning wether or not photography is an art form has thus been put to rest by the creative exploits of exceptional photo artists all over the world.

 

The gallant entry of exquisite photographic pieces into exhibition halls, of which Once Upon A Time is yet another ritual of affirmation, settles this debate yet again,” Chukwuma added. The exhibition was held with support from The Yacht Hotel, Jaya, and Sailors Lounge.

 

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