5 October 2007  –  6 January 2008

‘Muyiwa Osifuye

Born 1960, Nigeria, lives and works in Lagos

Photographer ‘Muyiwa Osifuye is based in Lagos and has been documenting the cultural heritage of Nigeria since 1996. Whether recording traditional customs, women in their vocational roles, kings or the harsh realities of widespread economic hardship, his images suggest a proud and resistant people.

Kaabiyesi: Courts of Influence 2007
Series of six C-type print diptychs

Kaabiyesi: Courts of Influence is about the role of traditional rulers within current governmental practices in Nigeria and Benin. Osifuye travelled across both countries to photograph the Obas, the kings of the Yoruba people, who are considered divine. Although their domains still have historical and religious importance, only a hint of their former political power remains and their current position is often an ambiguous hybrid of tradition and modernity. ‘Kaabiyesi!’ is a greeting reserved for a Yoruba king: uttered as a subject greets and prostrates before the Oba, acknowledging that the King’s words and actions are unquestionable and final.