ISSUE 5 | JULY 2022 | REINCARNATION
Benson Apah
My name is Apah Benson. I’m a poet and fine art/conceptual photographer from Nigeria. I started photography in 2017 after graduating college and experimenting artistically with words two years before. I needed a visual canvas to express my thoughts and emotions and though words offered an appeal to my desire for self expression and representation; it just wasn’t enough for me at the time. So, naturally I moved toward another medium to find whatever was inside.
I started out photographing everything I could lay my eyes on; from people to objects until I gradually found myself drawn to the portraits, faces and expressions. I wanted to represent dark skin in a way that exudes pride and grace. In a way that eliminated fear and prejudice for dark skin. I created portraits that focused on strength with strong contrast and powerful colours. Infusing concepts that tell stories from time to time in the images I created.
Over the years, I have won a couple of awards; been featured on Vogue Italia, exhibited my work in a few galleries in Nigeria and outside of Nigeria. I have also sold a couple of my pieces as NFTs with the introduction of the technology. Overall it has been a great journey and there are many more to come.
Twitter Handle: benson_apah
Instagram Handle: benson.apah