She’s a bride, and like the other women in
’s series, “e wá wo mi” (2019), she’s resplendent in color. They look out behind veils of crimson, peach, and robin-egg blue, standing in front of draped fabrics in deep jewel tones. “Any Nigerian who sees this [work] will recognize this is the mood of Nigerian weddings—the decorations, drapes, fabric,” Ogunbanwo, who is from Lagos, said. Through this series, which means “come look at me,” the photographer reflects on the nuance of identity—that of the brides and his home country. The exhibit is on view at WHATIFTHEWORLD in Cape Town through June 8th.
Ogunbanwo points out that all of the ceremonial pomp reinforces an expectation of femininity, one that supersedes the brides’ individuality. And while the women in Ogunbanwo’s portraits are feminine, they are also self-possessed, idiosyncratic, and queenly. The photographer looked to
-era paintings of royal women for inspiration in mood, gesture, and lighting. “But it was just a visual reference,” he clarified. “It’s not a political statement to those times or what blackness meant in those times.” Instead, he wanted to “co-opt that visual language” and employ it in celebration of these brides.