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| Wonder of Niger Delta |
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| Ophori |
Israel Ophori captured the view of
magical realism which he described as “Wonders of Niger Delta,” during the
Nchaka Festival of Omoku, Rivers State.
At the festival every October, people
are allowed to show the power they have, some people carried live crocodiles, severed
a cow head with a cutlass but a performer inserted a short wood through his mouth
and cheek. Ophori explained that that magician later removed the wood and his skin
and cheek became normal without a scar. “That is why it is called Wonders of
Niger Delta (2011). “
He also captured a moving masquerade
with a fish head with a dress and a costume made with rayon material which he
titled Masquerade Dance (2012) from the creeks of Gbaramatu. The masquerade
appeared to be swimming in a space intersected by electric and mechanical
devices which Okwui Enwezor called ‘Western fetish.’
Others include Colours of Niger Delta, which
he took during King Koko Festival in Nembe, 2011, Ema Royal Dance of Urhobo
people, 2006 and Creek Life, Ogulaha, 2007.
The Yaba College of Technology graduate
decided to relocate to Niger Delta to tell a positive story. “Sometimes, each
time someone hears Niger Delta, militancy and kidnapping come into their minds.
So my colleagues and I met and decided
to portray our region positively. When asked to advise the kidnappers in the
creek, he said there is nothing like kidnapping anymore, except some criminals
who invaded the region.
The talented artist is one of great fine
art and documentary photographers that unveiled rich, historic culture,
lifestyle and sense of documentary pictures about the Niger Delta.
Tagged: Circus of Encounter, the
exhibition which took place at the Quintessence Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos, recently,
reflected different views and issues concerning Niger Delta. The photographers
belong to a new group known as f/stop which creates images to promote the Niger
Delta.
Ophori hails from Ughelli, Delta State in
Niger Delta region. Born in the ancient city of Kano in the mid 1970s, he is a
freelance photojournalist and videographer who has a view that art is a natural
visual documentation of everyday living.
He is from the military background. He
started his secondary school in Lagos but went back to Ughelli after he lost
his father in 1989 to stay with his grandmother. From there he started
secondary school again and later got into a university in Bauchi but didn’t
complete due to religious crises. He decided to go back home. One day, he was
reading a book and discovered photography so he went to Yaba College of
Technology to study a course in photography. He has been doing photography for
10 years and said “the desire to do something different drove him to this great
profession.
“Luckily for me I was staying with my uncle
in Ikoyi, Lagos and saw thousands of people went through Law school and they
are unemployed so I said I can’t go this way and decided to create something
for myself. Since I have been doing it, I discovered that Nigerians recently are
appreciating works of photographers. Initially, they thought that photographers
were drop outs. In the past, if you charge someone 300, 000 Naira to cover his
or her event, they would scream and refused to pay that amount but things have
changed.
Meanwhile, it is still difficult to make a
living on photography in Nigeria that is why I am also into vidoegraphy and
documentary photography. I also do music video production.”
He has participated in several exhibitions
including Selected Exhibitions 2009, ‘Participatory Art Press Agencies
(P.A.P.A) Exhibition and Workshop’ African Artist Foundation, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Nigeria VS Spain at Spanish Embassy in Abuja in 2009, ‘Life in My City’
Alliance Francaise, Enugu in 2009, ‘Climate Change’ Niger Delta Standard newspaper
in 2007 and Mega city photo Leeds, United Kingdom in 2012.
The healthy looking young man has worked as
a photo-journalist for Port Harcourt based Niger Delta Media, Glitterati
Magazine and 234 Next on Sunday.
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