Durojaye: The Aworan Exhibition of 20 Art Pieces Epitomises My 12 Years as a Professional Photographer

John Durojaye is a visionary photographer and media artist whose work is a testament to his deep connection with nature, life, and the art of storytelling. Recently, he exhibited Aworan, which showcased 20 different art masterpieces, further cementing his passion for creating images that resonate on an emotional level. His art is not just a visual experience but a journey into the essence of nature and human connection. In this report, he explains that Aworan reflects his 12-year journey as a professional photographer. Oluchi Chibuzor presents the excerpts.

Going through this art work, what can you say is the motive behind this collection?

For the collection, the idea behind it, that’s why the exhibition is titled ‘Aworan’. So Aworan by definition means image, and it can also mean pictures. So, for the essence of the exhibition itself, Aworan here means image and by image means individual. I mean we carry different images at different times. People call it personality; and as humans, our personality changes from time to time, depending on the culture or the environment where we find ourselves.

Aworan’s exhibition is a collection of 20 artworks presented today which are testament to different expressions at different times of my life. So they’re like a few of my collections for the past 12, 13 years of photography and digital art history. That being said, I’ve traveled a lot, and in every environment or culture where I find myself, I see a different thing. I see a different expression, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. When I was there, I felt a different kind of emotion. They call it the love city. So you feel a different kind of emotion. And it’s also a city that is almost always on the move. It’s like London, it’s like Lagos.
So it’s a busy city, but now it’s not busy for commercial purposes alone. Of course, Paris is also known for fashion. But it’s not busy for the commercial purposes alone. People travel far and wide to experience love in Paris. I mean, if you walk on the streets of Paris today, you will find people proposing today. That can be very hard to find in Lagos, proposing on the street.

But then you can easily find that in Paris. And because it’s also a very busy street and busy country, that’s why you see the motion below in the image of Paris itself. I mean, I just use that as a description of one particular image. That’s the particular expression at the time. Then the contrast of time is another piece. That was in Leicester, United Kingdom, where you can easily see the passage of time and how things die and how things live. For life to be given, some things have to give way. In other words, to balance the world and life and nature. So over time, these are the selected few of my 12 years’ perspective of life and image, personality and character over time.

One thing that struck me in this artwork is your ability to play with technology. How is technology shaping the industry?

Photography, as we know, is going to change. And someone was making a significant reference to how a top brand advert right now is an AI-generated ad. That means a lot of people lost their jobs, reasonably. Because naturally, to produce a commercial for a global brand, you’re looking at millions and millions of budgets.

We’re talking about producers, directors, actors, set designers, costume designers, etc. But now, all of them put together have been benched down by AI. So as a creative in the 21st century, you need to embrace artificial intelligence. Because without embracing it, you’ll be left behind. And it has happened to photographers in the past.

Now it has moved from Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras to mirrorless cameras. We’re now in the generative age, where images can easily be generated. So art, as we know it, is also changing. Because now, very soon, there will now be Artificial Intelligence Integrated Art. Which in turn will mean that it will now be the reflection of your personal imagination. So when you imagine something, you don’t have to go and create it. You have to just write the prompt for an AI to generate it.

And I played with a little bit of artificial intelligence in some of the pictures you have here. Where I specifically gave the AI a particular prompt. And generated what I want. So that is a blend. This now is like a blend of digital art itself, and artificial intelligence generated art.

Another thing that caught my attention is the similarities between the stories and the nature of this art. Does that reflect the kind of person you are?

Art as it is, is the reflection of the artist. However, the artwork itself will mean different things to different people. And that’s why I took the time to explain what I was looking at. My interpretation of the art myself. So either for people to be able to join with me on that process, or for them to have a different or a very contrasting idea of what the art interprets to them. So personally, I was born into a family of hardworking people. As I said, I’m ODK. And by definition of that, ODK is known for hard work.

Persistency, consistency, and resilience. So in the face of anything, you aim at your goal. You just keep going. The odds may not be in your favor. It might be hard just to scale over. There might be a lot of things around you that might restrict or limit you. However, it is your responsibility to keep going. Because when you wake up every morning, what keeps you going is your dream and your purpose. So if you have a dream and you have a purpose, and you’re going forward to it. No matter what is in your way, you just need to keep the motion.

How can we improve the GDP contribution of art, as it is growing into a massive industry?

Yeah, that’s a very good question. Because I did the same exhibition. These are 20 artworks. But I picked two of my artworks for an exhibition in London. It’s called the Bloomer Gallery in London. It’s one of the biggest galleries in London. But then you can see an actual appreciation of art. People traveled all the way from New York, Paris, Germany, Hong Kong , China, Japan, and some other European countries. Scotland, Wales, the United Kingdom.

People traveled all the way far and wide just to come and see what people have created. Here in Nigeria, or in Africa as it is, I think there’s a little bit of downplay of art as we know it. However, I think with time, people will come up and start appreciating art as it is. So things that were old are becoming new, and new things are also becoming old. Which now means that there was a time people were really, really invested in art. We talk about the Benin Kingdom, Ile-ife, the Odudua staff, and the list goes on and on. But then there was a sharp decline.

However, a time is coming again where people are now telling the story of Africa to the world. But I am not just telling the story of Africa to the world. I’m also introducing the world to Africa. So the way I’m introducing Africa to the world, the two arts that were exhibited in London were arts that were created by myself and my friends during the pandemic in Nigeria. Nigerian actors, Nigerian models and muses created a picture with me. And that was exhibited in London.
Now I’m taking pictures from Paris, from London, Leicester, and some other parts of the world and exhibiting them in Nigeria. So it’s just more like a fusion of the world as we know it, and Nigeria or Africa as we know it.

What advice do you have for upcoming artists?

I would say that we need more people in the industry, because the more we are, the better. If new people come into the industry, that means we’re going to get a different perspective. I saw something, they will see it differently. So if new people come into the game, they are going to see what I see in a different light and they will now interpret their own art differently. So there’s room for everyone. There’s abundant room, actually.

Your work prominently features the environment and women. Why these themes?

There is no way any man can understand women. Even the rigors of childbirth, managing the family, managing the kid… As a man, I get tired of my son sometimes when he’s screaming and crying. I mean, there’s nothing I can do, what’s wrong? But when the mom comes, she has the patience and has the inclination to understand the baby. So that presence just interprets to me that… we cannot understand what a woman is and who women are. And that’s why my wife is also an art piece and I call her the Mona Lisa because she, for me, represents other women. She’s transcended from being a child to now a woman, mother, wife. And she still finds a way to manage, juggle all the possibilities together. It is mind-blowing. I cannot think about it too much.

For the environment, COVID-19 hit. And it’s now done in the world that we need to take care of our environment more. One of the art pieces where there’s a leaf covering the face of somebody was taken during COVID-19. So we’re at lockdown when we took that piece. And that is the Sanctuary of Nature. Nature is the only place where we can reasonably find health and shelter.

But we need to stop doing more damage to it. We should be able to give it more time to rest. We should be able to give it more time to heal itself. We’ve done enough damage as it is. There’s global warming. There’s pollution of the sea, water, air and even noise pollution. We should give earth a break; Let the world breathe and don’t suffocate the world.

Which your work stands out apart from your wife’s art piece exhibited today?

Well, I think all of them that’s why I titled it Aworan. So, if I tell you, one stands out today when I come tomorrow and I look at another one it gives me a different perspective or a different character and a different image. Then that would be my favorite for the day.
For example , the piece, titled “Two Dimensions,” explores the duality of perception and reality. The building, reflected upside down, blurs the boundaries between what is solid and what is merely an illusion. This mirrored perspective challenges the viewer to question whether they are looking at the structure itself or its distorted counterpart—reminding us that truth often depends on the angle from which we see it.

The symmetry of the composition evokes a sense of balance, yet the inversion adds an element of uncertainty, symbolizing the fine line between order and chaos, certainty and doubt. Through this work, I invite viewers to consider: In a world of reflections and interpretations, which version of reality do you trust?

Another one titled ‘Calm’ embodies the serenity found in surrender. The gentle cascade of water over the subject’s face and body symbolizes renewal, washing away the weight of the world and leaving behind a sense of peace. With closed eyes and an expression of quiet acceptance, the subject appears immersed in the present moment—unshaken, unbothered, simply being. The interplay of light and mist creates an ethereal atmosphere, blurring the lines between reality and stillness. Each droplet captures a fleeting instant, a reminder that calm is not the absence of movement, but the ability to flow through it. Through this work, I invite viewers to reflect: When was the last time you truly let go?