Episode 5 of MAFF Tour Lagos and we catch up with Dricky, a self-taught graffiti artist responsible for bringing street art to the city. He started by drawing portraits of friends and found his aesthetic by exaggerating their facial features with each new pass. "It is your world. You have the freedom to create a world for yourself, so why not do that?"
On the days it’s hard to wake up in the mornings - think of Etuk jamming out on the trumpet, playing music for the pure love of it. Now known as “The Voice of Africa” it was Ubong’s mum who helped him get his start. She took him to the church’s trumpet player and said, “This is my son, I need you to teach him the trumpet.” Since then, he’s never looked back. Etuk Ubong is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader on Episode 4 of MAFF Tour Lagos, Nigeria.
When you think of Lagos fashion, think Ashley Okoli. The self-made stylist, designer and creative director made her own path, never assimilating to more conservative Nigerian fashion norms. Okoli introduced a more grunge and gothic style, sharing her outfits of the day on Instagram back in 2016. Despite early naysayers, Okoli pushed through, and was a heavyhitter in the alté fashion movement which lead her to dress the likes of name like Little Simz, Obongjayar, and Arya Starr, to name a few. In short, Ashley's a risk taker and paved her own path for a scene that didn't exist.
Stephen Tayo got his start taking photos of people on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria. His photography documents the eccentric characters that make up the city and the fashion they wear. From traditional clothing to hyperlocal streetwear, Tayo captures it all, enhancing the beauty of the juxtaposition of styles covering the cultural renaissance of one of the most prominent cities in West Africa. In this season of MAFF Tour, our travels take us to Lagos, Nigeria to catch up with a few incredibly talented creatives who give us a glimpse into their practice and culture.
Our travels take us to Lagos, Nigeria, where we catch up with performance artist, Sheila Chukwulozie. Sheila is a performance artist whose work spans across dance to filmmaking and writing. Sheila's creative outputs are deeply rooted in a spiritual foundation, attuned to the emotions within and around her. Her work has been shown across Nigeria, Ghana, England, Germany, South Africa, Czech Republic and USA. She has worked both on and off screen for art films, music videos and other moving image productions. From August 2017- August 2018, she travelled as a Thomas J Watson fellow studying with traditional mask makers and cloth weavers in eight African countries. Her installation at the Johannesburg Art Fair “Thanks Xenophobia” has been reviewed by Artnet, Frieze, Financial Times and other leading media houses. Her performance as the lead character in the film “Egungun” (dir. by Olive Nwosu) has been nominated for awards at the British Film Institute, TIFF International film festival, Aspen film festival and Sundance.