Nigerian artist Lakin Ogunbanwo (Instagram) masterfully fuses fashion photography with classical portraiture, creating enigmatic, subversive images that intrigue with their bold, seductive energy. His subjects, often draped in shadow, fabric, or foliage, evoke a refined homage to the iconic African studio photography of the 1960s and 70s, brought to life through vibrant colours and striking minimalist compositions. At the heart of Ogunbanwo’s art is a profound commitment to documenting the rich culture of Lagos, expanding the African visual archive, and presenting self-represented African narratives that challenge and subvert Western perceptions.
Lakin Ogunbanwo, welcome. Can you share the moment in your life that led you to pursue photography as your primary form of artistic expression?
I’ve always said photography chose me. If I could paint I would, but photography was readily available and I started by taking photos of my sisters.
In what ways has your upbringing in Lagos influenced your work?
I think in two ways. Lagos is a very colourful/vibrant city and this is a sensibility that exists in my work. Lagos is also very busy, and can be slightly chaotic and my work (visually) has generally been an opposite response to the functional chaos Lagos is. It’s why my work is generally simple.
How do you personally connect with the subjects you photograph, and what do you hope they feel when they see themselves through your lens?
If its a portrait session, I generally connect by talking with the subjects, if it’s personal work, I treat the subjects as collaborators. It’s important to me that they see and believe in the vision of the project.
Can you talk about the creative process behind your surreal collages?
Honestly, the most interesting part of the process is going through old images of mine and the cutting (there’s a lot of cutting and tearing up). Otherwise I draw the base image (which is usually an old image of mine or a shape-from-silhouette i’m drawn to) and try to make new sense of it by glueing the cut outs from previous work.
Fashion is a key element in your portraits, serving as a cultural symbol. How do you choose the fashion pieces, and what do they represent in your artistic narrative?
Besides the strong need to represent self and culture, beauty has always been an important aspect of my artistic narrative. Fashion lends itself to me as far as representing beauty goes and Ii decide on pieces based on colours and texture
What do the objects and props in your photography signify?
Most times they are just visual elements used to create a visually appealing composition.
If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Can I get two artists? Beyonce and Fela.
The reason being, while I enjoy the finished work, I believe their process may be just as ‘scattered’ as mine is, and I can only imagine the magic that’ll be created if my mind were to meet theirs. The collaboration can be visual (motion or stills) or even sound/music.
What’s a book, movie, or piece of music that has had a lasting impact on you, and how has it influenced your work?
Two books I really love are ‘The School of Life’ and ‘Essays in Love’ by Alain de Botton. I don’t know that it’s directly affected my work, but it’s most definitely affected my person. The movie would be ‘Moonlight’. I remember watching that and I had a very strong desire to make a film.
I love music so there isn’t just one. I should say when listening to music, the melody always gets me before the lyrics, so sometimes I am moved not necessarily by a whole song, but parts of it.
For more stories of arts and culture from across the MENA region, like this interview with Lakin Ogunbanwo, visit our dedicated archives.
