Self-Taught Nigerian Photographer Zamani Istifanus Captures Everyday Nigerians in Portrait Series.
“Through The Eyes Of An Ordinary Nigerian” is a series of photographic portraits conceptualized by Nigerian 19-year-old photographer Zamani Istifanus of Xamani Studios, a photography and cinematography studio based in Abuja that he launched in September, 2014.
The series is an attempt by Zamani to capture the struggles of ordinary Nigerians whose realities do not mirror the fact that Nigeria currently has the largest economy in Africa.
Aside from from the call to attention of the plight and existence of Nigerians who toil day and night, and either live on less than 2 dollars a day or perhaps “never get to eat on some days”, Zamani seeks to use these photographs as manner of dignifying the trades and occupations that fall far out of the glitz and glamour associated with the lives of those who have managed, in whatever way, to gain access to the country’s vast wealth.
Although Zamani initially began his foray into the arts with graphic design, he gradually began to develop an interest in photography and cinematography. In 2013 he gained admission to study photography at CRAFT film school, Delhi, but was unable to attend due to financial constraints and lack of support from his father. Despite this setback, Zamani was not deterred in pursuing his love of photography and took to the internet to learn this craft, along with cinematography. In doing so, Zamani has manged to both empower himself and create an opportunity for himself to have realize his passion. His self-taught, and self-reliability, approach is an important trait that is also mirrored in many of the trades that Nigerians engage in by means of self-employment, another characteristic represented in this project.
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