One of the emerging US-based Nigerian visual artists, Obinna Obioma is among brilliant minds whose works have traversed the globe seeking a new order. Obioma, who is a self-taught artist, fashion and photographer, had his formal education in United Kingdom and at the International Centre of Photography, New York, USA. Currently, he shuttles between UK, US and Nigeria, where he runs a private studio.
But central to his creative photographs is investigating the human condition, touching on specific themes such as individuality, African heritage and identity, which are mostly portrayed best with his love for people and portraiture elements while still celebrating his strong African heritage. His work has metamorphosed from simple portraiture to having its defined style, theme, motives and direction.
In his Diaspora Blues, he examines issues that most young people are facing or have faced in their lives. With globalisation, many young people find themselves born in countries that are not their ancestral homes; creating an “other” factor for these young people who find themselves in an identity comatose.
The work, through still photographs investigates this phenomenon through the view of first generation Africans and Caribbean’s born in the USA who view themselves as the other in both their ancestral counties and the country of their birth, showcasing and celebrating their dual cultural identities of being African and American.
But, in reaction to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the world, Obioma dedicated his Through The Screen project to interrogate the redefinition of human interaction, no thanks to the scourge.
“Humans have always had an unquenchable need to connect with one another; be it through pigeon messages, notes in bottles, telegraphs, phone calls or through the internet and social media, we have always found a way to stay in touch. With the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19), spreading like wildfire predominantly through touch, killing thousands and causing a global pandemic, with no immediate vaccine for the virus, the world was plunged into social distancing in order to halt its spread. This meant that the fabric of human nature; to physically connect, was also being attacked,” he said.
With the aid of photography, Through the Screen investigates people around the world during these unprecedented times, showing how they are dealing with the new guidelines to socially distance, work from home and in some worse cases, quarantine. Using technology and the internet as a means to connect with these individuals in isolation but also cut across borders, the work creates and captures the images of these persons in their self-quarantine and social distancing spaces.
On his Noir project, he said: “I embarked on a photography project called Noir Project, which is an open-ended project that cuts across creeds, age, gender, nationalities, ethnicities and locations. At its centre, is individuality and identity, this is why the images are created in black and white and lit with just natural (window) light to remove all distractions from the subject.”
His Alter Ego series and its creative direction were birth from themes of identity, individuality, otherness and African heritage using both conventional photographs and having fashion illustrations. He also draws emphasis on the styling as a tool to further talk about identity and African heritage.
The work Alter Ego, through still photographs investigates this phenomenon buttressed through the lens of fashion, the view of a woman showcasing and celebrating her dual cultural identities of being African and Western.
Obioma has worked with major brands and clients both in Nigeria and abroad and his works have been published in major magazines such as Picton Magazine, Vogue Italia, Ellement Magazine, Elegant Magazine, Bella Naija amongst others.
His subjects include Jacqueline Norberto – New York, Nafisa Bukar – Berlin, Tosan Esangbedo -Paris, Salem King-Abuja, and Paula Jemitola- Milton Keynes.
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