These dreamlike pictures shine a light-weight on Nigerian tradition

Apah Benson was first drawn to images in late 2018, proper after graduating college, a transitional interval the place he discovered himself dwelling inside “multiple realities”. Already a choreographer, actor, and poet, he says: “I felt a burning need to capture life compositionally and aesthetically, beyond just text… Photography naturally followed, offering a way to transform personal and collective experiences into lasting visual forms.”

The pictures that Benson has created within the years since are stark, arresting, and dreamlike. In one photograph, a male nude is ready in opposition to pure white sand; in one other, a lady’s face is proven in profile, hooded in white fur, in opposition to an ethereal ocean backdrop. There’s a way that many tales – and, sure, a number of realities – lie beneath the floor of the individuals and locations that he chooses to painting.

Benson confirms that there’s fact behind this sense. Spanning documentary, vogue, and nice artwork, his pictures handle a various assortment of themes, from local weather change and socio-economic points, to heritage and spirituality. “Recently [I’ve been] investigating the roots of my identity, and the stories of the cultures and traditions I grew up with, and how they have been influenced by colonial impacts,” he explains. “This includes the post-colonial transfiguration that has remained in our DNA, culture, fashion, and more.”

Hailing from Delta State, Nigeria, the photographer notes that the nation’s geography and tradition is deeply embedded in his work. “There’s a term we use here a lot, ‘son of the soil’, meaning born of a place and rooted there,” he says. “This is to say that we are all shaped by our experiences and roots – even as we strive to transcend any of their limitations, we are also called to let the best parts of that heritage shine. Nigeria, with its resilient people, vibrant colors, rich stories, and profound culture, profoundly influences my perspective and my art.”

On a private stage, Benson says that every one of his work – from glossy vogue pictures, to intimate, divine pictures lifted from his goals – is impressed by Nigerian music, meals, and the Nollywood VHS tapes he grew up watching along with his dad and his sisters. “Everything about being Nigerian shapes my creative lens.” And sooner or later, he says, he goals to show this lens again on the previous, to doc (and assist form) historical past itself.

Take a take a look at the gallery above for a better look.