Iyke Bede
Three alumni photographers of The Future Enterprise Support Scheme (TFESS) class of 2012, Aham Ibeleme, Emmanuel Oyeleke, and Yagazie Eguare recently collaborated for the launch of Project X, an initiative targeting burgeoning indigenous photographers.
According to the conveners, the two-day programme was curated to inspire, coach, and empower the next generation of photographers through structured training, mentorship, and exceptional experiences.
A 10-year commemorative event marking their first contact at TFESS, they return to provide a system that ensures efficiency in processes by harnessing the insight of already established photographers who have proven their mettle in photography and have even branched off to conquer other professional fields.
Through a panel session themed ‘Positioning Your Craft — Scaling and Sustainability’ moderated by Eguare, award-winning photographer Kelechi Amadi-Obi; renowned photographer Hakeem Salaam; Founder, Poshclick Portraiture, Jokotade Shonowo; and creative entrepreneur Onye Ubanatu, imparted attendees with career nuggets toward actualising their dream career.
Amadi-Obi elucidated the need for young creatives to strategically develop set skills, build a clientele list, prioritise learning on the job, and scale for maximum remuneration.
“You need to have the product first. I spend quite a good amount of time getting my product where I want it to be. With photography, image-making and content creation, we call ourselves creative entrepreneurs. It’s not a factory where you get one formula and you start marketing while selling the same product. As a creative entrepreneur, you will have the burden of constantly being innovative. For me, the first thing I do is to scale my creativity.”
Speaking on his collection ‘Power’ that speaks to the authority of various African cultures, Ibeleme said: “The works that I create are placed in the sphere of modernist art, in hopes of making visible what is overlooked in the historicising of African cultures. I have focused on the schematic black, yellow, and white tones while exploring the relationships between popular culture and fine art, with a critical view of social, political, and cultural issues hidden in plain sight.”
The programme also doubled as a platform where the coveners showcased select artworks. Eguare tapped into feminine aesthetics to project the beauty of the ‘rhythmic life’ of women through various seasons in her collection ‘Colour Me Beautiful.’ Oyeleke gleaned through his life’s experiences in the past years, punctuating with hints of future expectations in his collection titled ‘The Way I See It.’
