Through Thy Lens

 Happy New Year Folks! To kick off the new year, we are revisiting a theme we’ve already explored here on Through Thy Lens – how young africans navigate between identities, cultures and creativity while living away from home.  Damiana Ohajunwa is a young Nigerian currently living in CapeTown and she has agreed to share her story and photography with us today via visual recollections of trips to Nigeria and  rural South Africa. 

 

• Who is Damiana Ohajunwa ? How would you describe yourself in a few words ?

I actually don’t know who she truly is, if I’m being quite frank with you. I think that is because she is always moving all the time, always in transition, so she is forever being inspired by people that surround her or her immediate environment or even whatever interests she decides to take on. So I can’t say I know who I am through and through because I’m never complete, never whole due to my constant shifting. But I guess who I am right now? Someone who needs to get somewhere and is doing everything reasonably possible to get there. Yeah, Damiana today is highly defined by her drive.

• On a scale from 0 – 10 ; how would you rate your interest in photography ?

I can’t lie and won’t. I looovveee photography on other people. What I mean by this is simply that I love other people’s photography more than I love my own. And for the life of me I do not know why this is so, but it is something I have just come to accept. So my interest would be a strong 5; 50-50 because I could go from 0-100, very quickly. One minute I could really not like the work I’m putting out which would lead to me not liking photography in general, then the next minute I’m gushing over my work or someone else’s and find myself head over heels in love… again. It’s got me exhausted.

• What kind of photography are you most drawn to ? Portrait, Landscape or Abstract ?

I’m most drawn to portraits and abstracts, but particularly portraits or any work that the subject matter is people within a context or environment. Abstract studies of people and their contexts would be my absolute favourite then.

• When and how did you develop your current passion for photography?

I have an interest in photography but I wouldn’t say I have a passion for it. So I developed this interest in photography probably in my late teens. Looking back on my younger years, whenever my mum would ask me to take photos of her, afterwards she’d always look at the photos I took and said that I had a natural gift of composition. But as a 7 year old, you can imagine how this was none of my concern whatsoever (lol), so I carried on with my life. Then suddenly, roughly 11 years later, the photography bug bit me, HARD. I bought a camera and began practicing whenever I could, I even tried my hand in Photoshop. And the rest was history, as they say.

• How would you describe the impact of photography on your life ?

It’s funny I never realised the impact photography had on my life until this question was asked. It has cultivated a deeper sense of self within me, as a person. This was something I was never familiar with. When I started this photography journey, at some point, I got caught up in the hype, wanting to produce a certain kind of photography that would generate the most likes on social media. But at some point, I just said “Screw it!” and began producing photos that made me happy; that reflected my own truths. And from that, I really began to understand and enjoy my position in society as well as appreciate my unique perspectives/interpretations. I became really happy with who I am as a person. In short, photography helped me celebrate me.

• What inspires you ?

Predominantly, it’s my social position as a Nigerian woman – I want to visually show people what that means, the best way that I can. On the side, it is the works of others – right now, it is the crazy talented Yagazie Emezi (thank you for introducing me to her genius). Most of her works are so reflective of my childhood and the things I try to capture and preserve in my work. In themes – culture, tradition and people within/without culture and tradition – these are the things that primarily inspire me.

• As a young Nigerian woman living in South Africa, what’s your take on the role creativity plays in your personal narrative ?

It plays an outstanding role, an outstanding one in my eyes. Creativity’s role in telling my personal narrative has been paramount to not only discovering but also embracing my identity as a foreigner in a sometimes, hostile space. For example, coming to South Africa in 2008, I was very surprised to learn of the feelings of animosity most South Africans I came into contact with, bore toward Nigerians and other African nationals. After some serious thought, I very soon came to the conclusion that such feelings had to be misplaced or misdirected because they did not know who we were as a people; they had based their feelings on lies and unfair generalisations. “People fear what they don’t know, so I’ll just have to make them know, so they don’t have to fear so much” – this was my reasoning behind the decision to share some personal pictures I took whilst holidaying in my hometown in Nigeria; this was how the Nigeria photography mini-study came to be a ‘thing’ on my Instagram. Through photography, I was able to creatively re-write my story, re-write the harmful narratives that were spreading about Nigerians in South Africa due to ignorant stereotypes and negligent perceptions. And because photography is creative, it offered me a fun and relaxed way of changing these biased ideas without giving into the anger and offense most people would assume someone in my position would and should be susceptible (or entitled) to. So creativity did do that and continues to do so for me and I’m quite thankful for that, to be honest.

• You recently went to Nigeria for a short vacation and had the opportunity  to capture your experiences via family portraits, and photographs of your environment. How would you describe your return home ? What role did photography play in that journey ?

If I tell you that I wasn’t nervous, I would be lieing. I hadn’t been in Nigeria for 4 years at the time and I was purely scared I wouldn’t be viewed as Nigerian enough (by some family members and strangers) because I had apparently assimilated to another culture abroad. So those were feelings of anxiety I had to push past in the beginning of the holiday and I did eventually. But what was important here was how photography aided me in pushing past those fears. I found that when I brought out the camera I relaxed, I focused on what was in front of me – capturing my childhood. I also found that people around me relaxed as well. Photography helped me draw closer to my environment and the people around me; it’s funny a lens sometimes cause people to bring up their wall, but not in my case. People completely opened up and interacted with me. I felt completely welcomed and this was awesome for me because it’s my home and everyone always wants to feel welcome, especially in their home.

• What’s next for you ? any projects or ideas you would like to share ?

Just simply keeping up with Instagram; trying the best I can to be consistent with producing and sharing my work. That’s always been the hardest thing for me, I find. In terms of projects, I have a mini photography project looking at rural South Africa and I’m looking forward to posting the pictures and gaining some feedback on them. Aside from photography, I’m starting a YouTube channel that aims to offer personal tips on finance geared towards and tailored for young people especially; it’ll look at where to begin, how to start, how to maintain and whatnot, when it comes to money and financial goals. I’m really looking forward to that becoming official in Feb. Other than all of these personal goals, just keeping up with grad school is the main item on the itinerary, so fingers crossed! 🙂

• What advice would you give my readers?

Open up to who you are as a person. When you do open up, trust in that person you’re beginning to discover and go where it is taking you. You push aside whatever doubts or worries you have and listen and just go. Because the growth you want and deserve is waiting there, wherever it’s leading you.

Thanks for answering our questions Damiana. You can keep up with her photography on her instagram ! And be on the lookout for the Youtube Channel !