HRM Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun Larooye II, Ataoja of Osogboland, 2012.
George Osodi
Up until the 1960s, kings and queens controlled hundreds of ethnic
groups in Nigeria. Today, the descendents of those rulers still play
important roles as intermediaries between politicians and the people in
their communities and as custodians of the cultural heritage.
An upcoming exhibit at the Newark Museum,
“Royals and Regalia: Inside the Palaces of Nigeria’s Monarchs,”
collects photos from George Osodi’s ongoing project, which has taken him
into the palaces of more than 20 kings and queens all over the country.
The project is intended to show off Nigeria’s history and cultural
complexity, and to promote harmony in a country often torn apart by
ethnic and religious conflict. Osodi is excited to show this work for
the first time in the United States because he thinks the project has
special relevance for Nigerians who’ve emigrated abroad and their
children, who have never been to their homeland.
“I feel that it’s high time we as a country see this diversity as a
point of unity in Nigeria rather than something that divides us,” he
said.
HRM Lucky Ochuko Ararile, The Ovie of Umiaghwa Abraka Kingdom, 2012.
George Osodi
HRH Emir of Zauzau (Zaria) Alhaji, Dr. Shehu Idris, 2006.
George Osodi
The Emir of Kano's Rolls Royce, 2012.
George Osodi
In his photos, Osodi places special attention to the fashions of the
rulers—the red garments popular in the south, and the robes popular in
the north—as well as the various architectural styles of their palaces,
which have been influenced by Christianity and Islam, the country’s two
dominant religions.
“We are living in a much more modern society today, and a lot of
people have misplaced their cultural identity, especially because of
technology and globalization,” he said. “I think it’s good to remind
Nigerians who left the country and had the next generation born in
foreign lands that you have a home, a place where you come from, and
this is what it looks like.”
HRH Queen Hajiya Hadizatu Ahmedu, Magajiya of Kubwada, 2012.
George Osodi
HRM Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, Ooni of Ife, 2012.
George Osodi
In order to photograph the rulers, Osodi wrote official letters to
introduce himself and his project, but he didn’t always have the best
results. For those he was finally able to photograph—including his
mother’s king, His Royal Majesty Agbogidi Obi James Ikechukwu Anyasi II,
Obi of Idumuje Unor—his aim was to portray them in a stately and
dignified manner, the same way in which they were likely to see
themselves.
“These kings, some of them have had ancestors who were kings in the
early days of slavery. Some were kings in the early days of the
Europeans capturing various kingdoms. Some were heavily humiliated, and
they were photographed in ways that were dehumanizing by some of these
captors in the early days of colonialism,” Osodi said. “I wanted to now
show them in the modern day as true kings of the 21st century.”
The exhibition, “Royals and Regalia,” is on display at the Newark Museum from Feb. 25 through Aug. 9.
HRM Agbogidi Obi James Ikechukwu Anyasi II, Obi of Idumuje Unor, 2012.
George Osodi
HRM The Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero Reception, 2012.
George Osodi
Jordan G. Teicher writes about photography for Slate’s Behold blog. Follow him on Twitter.
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