Lakin Ogunbanwo shares his soulful vision of the world through enigmatic and daring portraits.
Working at the confluence of fashion photography and classical portraiture, young Nigerian artist Lakin Ogunbanwo creates enigmatic portraits with an erotic and subversive undertone. His subjects exist definitely in the frame often masked by shadow, drapery and foliage. His use of vibrant flat colour and bold compositions form a more minimalist homage to the african studio photography popular in the 1960s and 70’s.
Central to Ogunbanwo’s artistic investigation is his desire to document the culture of Lagos; expand the contemporary African visual archive, and portray self-represented African narratives. He documents the complexity of his culture using veiled portraiture and fashion as a cultural signifier, and in doing so, counteracts the West’s monolithic gaze on Africa.
