American Photographer Embraces Africa’s Beauty in New Book, Solo Exhibition

Yinka Olatunbosun

Nahous Gallery, in partnership with Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, has opened its doors to a quiet but powerful celebration of African life as seen through the lens of American photographer, Reed Davis. His debut book, Textures of Humanity: Beauty and Richness of Africa, was unveiled alongside an exhibition that runs from November 15 to December 15, 2025.

The 156-page book, published by Snap Collective, is the result of years of travel across the continent from Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire to Senegal, Kenya, Morocco, Tanzania, Zanzibar, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia and Zambia. The exhibition, supported by Chef Tolu “Eros” Erogbogbo, Nahous Gallery and other collaborators, features select photographs from the book, a presentation session, private dinner and public viewing.

For Davis, the project is deeply personal. In spite of being American, his connection to the continent began early through an exchange student from Soweto who lived with his family during high school. That experience, he said, sparked the curiosity that eventually brought him to Africa in 2017.

“When I came to Lagos for the first time, I enjoyed it so much,” he recalled at a press briefing announcing the exhibition. “The people, the culture, the food everything felt so rich and unique. It kept me coming back.”

He explained that gaining people’s trust was central to capturing the authenticity he wanted. “Most of the people in the book I knew fairly well. I took time to listen and understand them before taking pictures,” he said. “Walking into someone’s space as a stranger can make them act differently. You have to break through that barrier.”

His images spanning fashion, interiors, food, landscapes and portraiture reveal moments many locals might overlook. One of his earliest memories in Lagos was seeing simple food deliveries placed on a bench in soft pink light. To him, it was “amazing”, a small detail that held beauty.

Davis maintained that Textures of Humanity is intentionally honest. “Going through photography books, I often saw images that were heavily retouched. I didn’t want that,” he said. “There are only three images in the book that I did retouching to. And those are the series called Adam, Eve, and Together. And those were meant to be a futuristic idea of what Adam, Eve of modern Africa looked like. The rest I wanted to have real situations. Nothing was set up. Nothing was orchestrated. They were me with people at the moment. Doing what they do. Learning things from them. And spending time with them. Even scenes on the beach where I was tempted to remove litter, I kept them. I wanted it to be a record of real moments.”

Nothing in the book is staged. The photographs were created in the flow of ordinary life, he said, shaped by the people he met and the everyday environments they shared.
The book evolved over years of travel, beginning as a casual documentation of his experiences. Eventually, Davis realized he had built a significant visual archive.
“The editing took about a year choosing images that could speak to each other,” he said. “Some of the most human and interesting aspects are the simple things. The things locals might not notice because they’re so normal.”

Davis described Africa as a continent alive with color, pattern, texture and evolving traditions. The project became an attempt to merge the ancient and the modern, honouring craftsmanship, identity and creativity while acknowledging Africa as a space constantly reinventing itself.

“If this is the motherland—the birthplace of humanity—then humanity is all of us,” he said. “The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the way we live. I wanted to weave these ideas into one visual experience.”

Chef Tolu Eros praised Davis for choosing Lagos as the debut city for the book and exhibition, pledging to support the project by elevating Nigerian cuisine as part of the experience.

For Nahous Gallery, the collaboration was a natural fit. Events manager Tiana Kumo said the gallery remains committed to telling African stories.

“It is all about Africa showcasing our heritage in pictures and promoting our culture,” she said. “Working with Reed aligns perfectly with our focus.”

Textures of Humanity is more than a photography book; it is a sensitive study of African life through an attentive outsider’s lens.