Christopher Iduma

“Munachi” (2019) by Christopher Iduma from the series “Ladies and Gentlemen.”
Archival Digitial Print. Size 1: 40(H) x 28.5(W) inches. Edition 2/5 + 2AP

Christopher Iduma said, “As an artist viewing the world through the lens of a camera, my work delves into the contemporary understanding of identity and history while utilizing it as a ‘protest against time.’ I believe that the conceptions of identity are not ‘linear,’ and instead envision it as a map for navigating every subject. My compositions create a platform that challenges one’s perceptions, perspectives and assumptions while celebrating individual essence and authenticity.

In “Self-Portraits,” I create composition with multiple figures to consider complex issues around identity as an African. In each image I meld two bodies to represent the complexity of their identity and through this technique, I play with the viewers perception, and perspective. I bring together two different human subjects – sometimes strangers who have never met before - and create one complex human portrait. 

Through this layering, I reveal contradictions that are inherent in the lives of my subjects, and comment on how they negotiate their sense of self. I reflect these through an interplay of beauty, gender, and history, which are the composition of selfhood. I create a simple visual language of power that shows the complexity of our shared existence with one image.

In the series, “Ladies and Gentlemen,” I continue my exploration through portraiture to capture a sense of the youth culture living in Nigeria. These portraits consider the different layers of contemporary life in Nigeria, where fashion collides with the frenetic energy of a young population. My portraits give hints to a new generation coming of age in one of the most vibrant countries in West Africa today.”