ANDREW ESIEBO
Andrew Esiebo started out in photography by chronicling the rapid development of urban Nigeria as well as the country’s rich culture and heritage. As his work began to gain international recognition, Andrew’s started to explore new creative territory, integrating multimedia practice with the investigation of themes such as sexuality, gender politics, football, popular culture and migration.
In 2010, he was selected for the Road to twenty ten project to form an All-Africa Dream Team of 16 journalists / Photographers to provide alternative stories from the World Cup in South Africa. His work has been exhibited at the Havana and Sao Paulo biennials, the Guangzhou Triennial in Beijing, the Chobi Mela V Photo Festival in Bangladesh, the Noorderlicht Photo Festival in The Netherlands, African Photography Encounters in Mali and the Lagos Photo Festival among others. His works have been published in books, magazine and websites such as guardian.co.uk, Marie Claire Italia, Time Out Nigeria, Mail & Guardian online, Laia Books, Geo-Lino, KIT and African style magazine Arise.
Andrew has completed a number of artistic residencies including a five-month stay in Paris under Cultures France’s Visa Pour Creation, a three-month residency at the Gasworks in London as part of the Africa Beyond programme and a three-month residency at the Gyeonggi Creation Center in South Korea from December 2011. He is the initiator and co-organizer of “My Eye, My World”, a participatory photography workshop for socially-excluded children in Nigeria.
Esiebo works in series. A couple of examples are following:
1. LGBT
This is an ongoing series of resilient African gays living despite the strong opposition by African cultures. The series tends to challenge the stereotypical representation of LGBT in African cultures. As for many being gay is considered to be abnormal, to bewitch or abomination.The project hopes to give a better understanding of their lives and create a debate about their rights and future in Africa.
2. Femi Kuti and the Afrika Shrine
Lagos: the commercial hub of Nigeria and the most populated city in West Africa. A vibrant metropolis which appears to be one overwhelmed by congestion, crime, poverty to foreigners, and yet everyday, Lagosians get on with the serious business of having fun. Revellers party the night away at hangouts across the city but one of the most popular is the Afrika Shrine. Started by Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti during the height of the military regime, it is now run by his oldest son Femi, an afrobeat star in his own right. Esiebo gained exclusive access to photograph the nightclub and the musician who thrills audiences at his weekly Sunday night show.
3. Members Only
Lagos has one of the most vibrant nightlife scenes in Africa and ‘Members Only’ offers a rare access to the nocturnal world of the Lagos nightclub bouncer. Following one bouncer from his daily three-hour workouts to his overnight shifts, Esiebo offers a raw and unflinching insight into life outside of the club that most people are trying to get into.
4. God is Alive
God is at the heart of life in Nigeria. Religious spaces are found in every nook and cranny of the country, with pentecostal/evangelical churches being the most prolific. Nigerians have reimagined these American exports with their own, exuberant brand of praise. Big gatherings called crusades are held across the country where huge crowd gather to ignite their faith and seek spiritual solutions for their various problems·
