George Osodi Showcases Nigerian Monarchs for UK Art Exhibit by Dave Agboola

 
Nigeria’s traditional monarchs have played an important historical role in shaping and protecting the cultural lives of its people. Although Nigerian monarchies have undergone a lot of changes in the last century, they embody the ancient customs, architecture, and fantastic finery of the country’s many ethnic groups, and are living symbols of the nation's roots at a time of tumultuous change. George Osodi, a Nigerian photojournalist based in Lagos, has been meeting with and capturing on film many of the country’s traditional rulers and the portraits born of this project are the subject of an exhibition currently on display at The Bermondsey Project in London.
Subtitled The Custodians of Peace and Culture, the series features figures who have remained a key part of the country's political landscape despite losing their constitutional roles in 1963 when Nigeria became a republic. Osodi was granted rare access to the palaces and throne rooms of rulers across Nigeria, from Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman (the Emir of Katsina), to HM Wilson Ojakovo Oghoghovwe Oharisi III – (the Ovie of Ughelli in Delta State), and Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Ooni of Ife. Osodi captures the grandeur of the monarchs’ lives, from beautiful convertibles to stylish shades. The subjects of his photographs seem to exist almost out of time, transporting their audience into another space and time. Disturbed by the continual ethnic clashes and security challenges facing the country, Osodi felt it was necessary to address the misplaced priorities of some of its citizens. In an interview with BBC Newsday's Sunita Nahar, Osodi said the aim of his exhibition is to mirror Nigeria's great culture through its personalities, stating that “in this time of sectarian violence and insecurity, diversity should be seen as a strength rather than a weakness… Lots of people have lost trust in their identity. I felt it was important that we see this diverse culture as a point of unity instead of seeing it as something that should divide us as a nation.” In Osodi’s view, the traditional monarchs are better placed than politicians to address such issues because they are closer to the people than state governors and senators. “People are very proud of their origins and they still celebrate that and I wanted to showcase that Nigerians must look deep to examine where you are coming from,” he told the BBC. Osodi also believes that documenting and archiving culture is key to understanding Nigeria's historical origins and strengthening a sense of national identity. Nigerian Monarchs: The Custodians of Peace and Cultural Heritage began showing on October 11 and runs until November 3, 2013. See some of the monarchs' portraits in the slideshow below: [slideshow_deploy id='2338']   Image source: George Osodi on PhotoShelter