NIGERIAN novelist, poet, professor and critic Chinua Achebe once said that if you don’t like someone’s story, write your own. One person who has taken this to heart is Aaron Yeboah jnr.
“I spent 10 years living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,” the Ghanaian says. People he met there had little knowledge of Africa. “People would say, ‘Oh, you’re from Africa. You live in huts.’ Even having access to information right in the palm of their hand with the Internet wasn’t enough. So I thought that creating a magazine would help spread the word.”
The result was African Lens, of which Yeboah is the curator and designer. Because he hadn’t seen any outlet for true African stories, the goal was to create a revolution of young Africans telling their own stories through photographs.
“African Lens serves as an open window into the world of Africans,” he says. “I wanted African photographers to show the world the Africa we know, the Africa we see, and the Africa of our dreams. African Lens hopes to shine a light on the beauty and rich, diverse cultures of Africans, both in the motherland and as migrants in foreign lands.”
It took a bit of research before Yeboah found his first photographer online but after the first volume of African Lens — there have been three — he was inundated with requests from people all over the continent who wanted to help. This was when he knew that the project would have an impact far bigger than he had first thought.
“It’s different aspects of photography: creative photography, portrait photography, social commentary and so on,” he explains. “Different stories, different styles and different messages.”
With so many different Africans telling their own stories (including those in the diaspora, of whom Yeboah admits that not much is known), it’s hard to know what he can expect or what he’ll discover. That’s why he likes to call the process a visual journey.
“Africans are making their voices heard,” says SA photographer Fundiswa Ntoyi. “The state of photography in SA is vibrant: it’s edgy, street-style and contemporary, and it’s taking a global turn.”
Ntoyi is excited to be among the many young SA photographers making it their mission to let the world know that SA is alive with possibilities and that we, as Africans, can tell our stories best. Her excitement about using her work as a way to inspire others is one that Ghanaian artist Kwvku also shares.
“My vision is not to become famous but rather be remembered for my work and hopefully inspire someone out there with what I do,” he says. “My work is a testimony that Africans are not limited when it comes to photography.”
Mutua Matheka likes to find beauty in the mundane. “A whole wealth of beauty lies in Africa,” says the Kenyan artist, who describes himself as born and bred in Machakos but fine-tuned by Nairobi. “I love the textures, the colours, the culture, the landscape, the people, the languages. It makes me want to go out and shoot, every time I imagine it.”
Matheka’s work looks at not just the beauty and rich culture of Africa, but also the truth and reality that most of the world chooses not to share.
Gabonese photographer Yannis Davy, too, doesn’t shy away from using his photography in a powerful way. “Photography is not only a way for me to capture a moment that I will be able to look back on in future, but also to document what I find beautiful or interesting,” he says. “Spectrum Series is about people celebrating their heritage and being in touch with their blackness, no matter the shade of black they are. Son of the Sun is a photography series celebrating the beauty of dark skin.”
There’s also a sense of celebration in Carbon Copy, the collaboration between SA twin sisters Noncedo and Nonzuzo Gxekwa. They aim to change the perception that many Africans have of twins. People should understand that twins are individuals and live different lives — they are just “more special because they have a partner for life”.
Stories by Africa and for Africa was the inspiration for the third annual We Are Africa travel expo, which showed works from the aforementioned photographers at the Cape Town Stadium in early May.
“Narratives tend to portray Africa as, at best, a uniformly beautiful savannah populated by herds of endangered wildlife; or, at worst, a barren, poverty-stricken wasteland ruled by corruption, starvation, violence and disease,” says Serge Dive, founder and CEO of Beyond Luxury Media, organiser of the event. “There is only one way to counter such sweeping generalisations: with specifics. By replacing the stories told about Africa with stories told by Africa.”
Described as far more than a trade event, We Are Africa brought a selection of travel brands, world-class buyers and press to Cape Town, united by the determination to tell their individual stories of Africa. This year’s theme was “Not One Story”.
“Africa is rightly renowned for its beautiful landscapes and beautiful animals,” Dive says. “However, it’s also so much more: a collection of many people, many voices and many stories. Together, our tribe is challenging outdated, negative and monotone perceptions of the continent through travel. In demonstrating the uniqueness of each African country, we stand united in diversity.”
Ultimately, the goal is to tell stories that are handmade, homegrown, local, diverse and authentic. It’s why Yeboah hopes to keep encouraging others to “meet real people, learn different cultures, discover new things, and appreciate Africa” through his work.
“We’re over 50 countries,” he says. “How come the focus is only on one side? Take your time, explore and learn. It will be a visual journey. Even as an African, being in SA for the first time, I’m learning a lot. Imagine, as an African learning something, how much more people not from Africa will discover?”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.