By Tajudeen Sowole
When a health subject of terminal scale as
breast cancer found its way into the lenses of five women photographers as seen
during the opening of the exhibition, Battle
Scars at Goethe Institut, Lagos Island, photography skills struggle for
attention.
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One of the exhibited images by Zemaye Okediji |
An initiative of Camara Studios and
featuring works of X-Perspective photographers, Battle Scars, an ongoing show is supported by 1K4Cancer, Sebeccly
Cancer Care Foundation and Goethe-Institut Lagos. The organisers said the
exhibition “is a charity”: event aimed at giving proceeds from the sales of the
exhibits, including the postcards prints, to support the treatment of patients
who are on the waiting list of the Sebeccly Cancer Care Foundation.
At the immediate entrance of the Goethe Institut's improvised gallery space, two of the works by Aiyeni-Babaeko summarise a most likely world of victims of breast cancers. In The Beauty Never Lost, the sufferer is still bold enough to flaunt her beautiful face in a modeling-like pose enhanced a sun hat. As much as Ayeni-Babaeko attempts to add her modeling photography experience to liven up the image, the missing part of the left torso evokes sympathy. Next comes tears-jerker in Tick Tick, a long shot capture of a patient in her room. Hovering inside her apparent expansive room is the race that every breast cancer patient has against time.
For Disu's images of an elderly woman,
the pains, over the decades, are not missing in the weakened eyebrows and
swollen hands hidden by the silhouette lighting technique. Disu recalled the
courage of her subject to offer herself for the shoot despite resistance from
the family, "She has five children, all adults, but she insisted in making
her self available to be photographed against the advice of the family."
And when she was ready, the photographer took over the emotive moment. "It
was a difficult and emotional shoot for me," Disu disclosed as she
explained the scenario of a picture in which her subject's husband poses with
his wife. Against a semi-silhouette lighting, the couple images explain the
bond of love that has kept them going through decades of horrifying breast
cancer.
Kuku, who is one of the youngest photographers in the project, recalled her closest experience of a sufferer who later died. "That was long time ago. But now that I am involved in a breast cancer project, I can also feel the pains that patients go through." Kuku's past knowledge of breast cancer included myths such as "cancer is caused by juju or witchcrafts." But her subject in the Battle Scars project seems to have none of that, so suggests the colour picture of a women with masked face, in ecstatic pose, displaying the full and vanished sides and the breasts.
In fact the awareness against linking breast cancer with unproven beliefs such as witchcraft and myths of some native origins was among the core issues that inspired the exhibition, the director of Camara Studios and convener of the project, Aiyeni-Babaeko told guests during the opening.
In battling the scars, the place of
spirituality cannot be completely ruled out, at least from the faith
perspective, so suggests one of Aiyeni Babaeko's works. It's a twin-photograph
of a victim in hijab and holding the Islamic tesbih (rosary) and in apparent reliance on her Creator for succor.
In Nigeria, inadequate diagnosis
facilities and treatment have been identified as factors in reducing the
increasing deaths caused by breast cancers.
The tense hospital atmosphere during treatment of breast cancer is not excluded from the works on display. Timing of drips being administered by a doctor is captured and placed just above the praying victim earlier mentioned; quite a good curatorial score.
As a medium in creating more awareness among women and draw public sympathy in the fight against breast cancer, as well as create early detection alert, Battle Scar, as initiated by Aiyeni-Babaeko is a great concept. And as a photography exhibition, the photo artists, to a large extent force their way through the emotional subject at hand to render a balance works of art within the glaring unavoidable confines of the lens.
However, Shonowo's high key lighting shot
that blackens the supposedly missing breast of a victim and highlights the full
side, offers a balance of photography skill and sympathy expressions.
Courtesy of Sebeccly, and in the past two years, the
photographers have been linked with members of the breast cancer support group
in order to provide an insight into the challenges faced by cancer survivors.
According to the organisers, Goethe Institut and Camara Studios, breast cancer
"is the most common cancer and a leading cause of death among women in
Nigeria." The Battle Scars show
is also to create awareness for alert on the symptom and "early
diagnosis." With intensive campaign, "more women”, they hoped,
“can survive breast cancer by having prompt treatment."
Derin Ajao of Goethe Institut noted that the exhibition’s opening on the
International Women's Day "is no coincidence' as the challenges facing
women across the world can be reduced with awareness such as the Battle Scars.
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During the Battle Scars photography exhibition |
The foundation noted “the persistent high death rates caused by breast
cancer” and insisted that “it is important to create awareness, advocate for
better cancer care, raise funds to support cancer treatment and strengthen
cancer care institutions.”
On
the photography exhibition as a strong medium in the awareness drive, Sebeccly
was sure that “the public will be inspired to join us in the fight against
cancer, to understand how cancer affects us all and take steps in reducing the
Nigerian cancer burden.
“This first-of-a-kind photography exhibition will tell stories of cancer
survivors, their challenges and coping strategies. Highlights of the exhibition
are breast awareness information and breast examination.”
For Ayeni-Babaeko, Battle Scars is another score in
her feminist-agenda. Having embarked on a lone ranger mission in lifting the
cause of women when she started a photography empowerment project for young
enthusiasts in 2009, Ayeni-Babaeko has been using Camara Studios to groom
female photographers.
And when she exhibited 12 young female photographers in 2011 Goethe Institut was her partner. .Her efforts have given birth to the The X-Perspective female photographers.
Ayeni-Babaeko had shown in group
exhibitions such as A Perspective on Contemporary Nigerian Photography,
regarded as the largest gathering of Nigerian photographers in recent time. The
show, which featured 20 artists, held at the Omenka Gallery, Lagos Island, in
2009.
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