It has escaped no one’s attention that over the last couple years, Lagos has become one the most exciting creative hubs in the world – churning out exceptional talent in culture, fashion and music. One of the names breaking on the scene is Lagos-based multidisciplinary artist and creative Daniel Obasi, who’s been doing graphic design, styling, photography and filmmaking in the last five years alone.
Daniel’s first introduction to the arts was as a graphics design intern at a security company in 2012. While in university, where he studied Language, Obasi found himself developing an interest in the world of fashion and paying special attention to how the society around him perceived gender roles and masculinity. With a keen interest in old cinema and Afrofuturism – an imaginative framework that can be employed to create visions of the future, while still referencing the past – Daniel Obasi is deeply concerned with advancing the scope of African storytelling. Creating a visual space in which African men in particular are allowed to express their sexuality and vulnerability, is a common thread across his projects. Here he reflects on the merits of being a multidisciplinary, challenging traditional notions and the magic of self portraiture.