Nigeria: Photography, arts and design exhibition in Lagos

A photography exhibition in Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, has been held to mark World Photography Day, an annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science and history of photography.

Called the Photography, Arts and Design Exhibition (PADE), this 3-day exhibition is providing a platform for creatives in the art world to showcase their works.

 “ The major reason for having this is to celebrate photographers, and other creatives, visual artists in general “,  says Yemi Royal-Akala, a professional photographer and the convener of World Photography Day Lagos.

The exhibition also served as a medium for some of these creatives to be mentored in masterclasses led by some veteran Nigerian photographers like Kelechi Amadi-Obi.

"how well known, how well exposed is your work? when you put together those indices you say this is where I am, so you now say I now want to go to point B. Otherwise you will not have a location you are going to. So how do you do that? You find the most interesting photographer that you admire their work, look at their portfolio and compare it to your own. If your own does not meet up it means you have to go to another destination”. 

 Some of the creatives Ine stressed on the importance of using art to tell the authentic African story.

“We must appreciate our cultural heritage, we must appreciate where we are coming from, we must tell a story. We must appreciate our history, and we must feel a sense of belonging, our children in the diaspora must feel a sense of belonging. ... '" explains Andy Ine. 

 Phoebe Giffy-Brohaugh of the Children’s Art Gallery says  'The amazing thing about art is whether you are a child or adult, it is your interpretation of what you see around you, what life is. Whether it is your story or you sharing someone else’ story that’s what art is for. '

A picture they say is worth more than a thousand words. Here in Lagos, the Photography, Arts and Design Exhibition (PADE) has played its part of activities to mark this year's world photography day. On this day, photographers across Nigeria and the rest of the world are being encouraged to share photos that document their world.