By Alina Hyder
The captivating world of photography is rapidly growing in this digital age, and creativity surrounds us. A luminary artist who stands out from the crowd is 25-year-old Nana Kwadwo Agyei Addo. In this feature, CHOP speaks to Nana about the journey of his art and the inspirations behind them.
“If 500 years from now your images are found, you would be able to tell that this is how the people in Ghana were living.”
Nana Kwadwo Agyei Addo
Born and raised in the heart of Accra, Ghana, Nana Kwadwo Agyei Addo is a remarkable photographer. Through exploring culture, identity and human experience, he has mastered the art of storytelling within a still frame. His visionary photographs hold a softness and an ethereal-like warm glow, which captivate viewers. A wave of nostalgia is engrained into every image through his use of lighting, warm colour palettes and the honest nature of his shots. His artwork, whether the photos accompanied by his beautiful poetry or a posed portrait photograph within his collaborative work, provides a window for viewers to look into a culture full of stories.
During Nana’s 11th year of high school, he was assigned a group project where he and his peers had to create a business. A photographer had taken photos of the garments they had created, but Nana and his friends were dissatisfied with them. So Nana borrowed a camera from his father, a photographer for the United Nations, and took the photos himself. His friends loved the images he took, and from there, Nana was made the school’s official photographer, where his creative flair grew further.
Upon completing a Law degree at the Ghana School of Law, Nana became aware of “the diverse backgrounds of people, and realising the world is not only your house”, he says. From engaging in conversations with people from all walks of life, he began to find his signature style of photography, which captured an authentic portrayal of Ghanaian reality and incorporated an element of social change in his art.
When talking to Nana about his earlier work, he mentioned inspiration from an anti-bleaching cream campaign. These products promised to bleach consumers’ skin to attain a lighter skin tone, which was seen as the beauty standard at the time. Nana says he has “always wanted to capture the beauty of melanin skin” to represent and show audiences that there is never a need to change your skin tone as you are beautiful the way you are. He has applied this to his editorial photography when working with artists, brands and films such as GQ magazine and stills from The Butterfly Effect.
One of his most poetic pieces of work is ‘A Young Man’s Memories’. This series of portrait and landscape photographs are accompanied by a touching poem written by Nana himself. The inspiration for this poem came right after COVID-19. Nana had moved away from his family for the first time, making him aware of the value of their presence and his relationship with them. “I just sat down and expressed my feelings through writing”. The poem explores themes of affection and regret as it delves into the thoughts Nana held whilst conflicted with the choices of spending time with his loved ones versus taking the steps into growing up and achieving a successful career.
“Your photos should be true; they should be a reflection of who you are.”
Nana Kwadwo Agyei Addo
Nana kindly shared an exclusive insight on a project he’s currently working on.
For the past eight months, Nana has been compiling a selection of photographs depicting a story called ‘Auntie Yaa and Her Kaba and Slit’. The photos go along with the tale of a woman who is mourning the loss of her husband whom she killed, yet those around her are under the impression that his death was due to natural causes. Captured within the refines of her husband’s home, the stunning photographs feature her wearing traditional Kaba attire throughout.
He also told us to look out for another series of photographs he has been working on, which will include “30 poems he has been writing over a period of three years” and will also be accompanied by visual elements.
Be sure to check out Nana Kwadwo Agyei Addo’s Instagram and website, where you can see his artwork.
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