Adeolu Osibodu
Adeolu Osibodu // What about the beach calls for a great setting, what does the water mean to you?
I think I’ve noticed over time that inspirations come like waves or seasons. Over a period of
time, a certain element of nature or act could form the subjection of obsession. At some point, it
was open spaces, fields and trees, another period it was flight, in the sense of humans taking
flight or levitating. At this period it happens to be water. The sea has always been interesting to
me. A sense of calm, timelessness and infinity. Never ending tides just like life, itself.
What’s the best time of day to shoot?
Earlier on, I would have mentioned towards the evening time in Nigeria about 3-6pm, but having
moved to England where the sun sets by 4. It’s really not definitive at this point. I’ve learned to
adapt and make the best out of whatever situations or lighting conditions I find myself. Working
on jobs and assignments teaches you to be flexible, open-minded and adaptable to any
situation. So really, any time of the day could create a great image.
What’s the last thing that moved you?
I believe its constantly learning that everything moves, so you just have to do the same. Being
adaptable to situations is good for growth.
The birds in your photo seem to create a lot of tension in your images, What is the relationship
between the birds and the people?
Surrealism plays a strong role in the work because it emphasizes things that would most likely
not happen in reality but its still finished up with a feel of reality. Birds are incredible, the science
of them, yes but also the mood and aura they represent. A sense of freedom, a nomadic chaos
and in between it all, a balance of uniformity. I try to depict them in motion to embody all those
themes and contain that sense of divinity in one frame.
What’s the next concept you’re trying to explore in your work?
I’m still in the phase where I’m obsessed with water so I’ll just have to keep creating and see
how that turns out really.
I think you do a really good job at toting the line of realism and surrealism in your photos, how
important in creating this ambiguity to you?
Subconsciously high actually. I guess because even from watching movies and looking at
photographs over the years, you sort of grow an eye to tell what’s edited and what’s not so this
kind of trickles down to affecting one’s own self causing a situation where you become your
greatest critic. I think it all happens out of the initial prerequisite to trick myself into creating
images that I could believe actually happened in reality.
You cover the faces of most of your subjects, are you hiding us from them or them from us?
[Laughs] I think hidden faces hold mystery and so much could be told with body figures, shapes
and motion. This is sort of a way to emphasize that. It’s almost like the picture tells too much if it
looks at you. So it needs something to pull you in.
Is there always a story you’re trying to tell in your images? Or is it more to create striking images
that spark the imagination?
I think primarily, it’s the image, the story most times is birthed from personal experiences as a
means to journal my life at that point but it grows into so much more and eventually, since I get to share them, people derive their own meanings, attachments and references to it which is
perfectly fine.
What was the first camera you ever had? How did you get it?
It was the Nikon d5200. I believe that was 2017. Prior to that I photographed with my mobile
phone. I got my camera in a funny way. I had just recovered from a complete femur fracture.
The months I spent not walking forced me to do a lot of self-reflection and ultimately have a
clearer vision of what I wanted to do in the near future. So, once I recovered, the first thing I
got was the camera and I just started winging it with a lot of practice, experimenting and also
learning how to edit on the internet.
The people in your photos share this sense of togetherness and community almost. Where do
these characters come from? Do they have origins that we don’t see?
I mostly photograph my close friends or people I have connections with. I started out
photographing my siblings. The craft has always branched from a personal point so it was only
natural I photographed those I was completely comfortable with. I actually photographed a lot of
self-portraits and still do from time to time. I see the strength in close and solid friendships,
especially the ones you tend to lose sight of. That’s what binds life together.
How do horses serve the stories you’re trying to tell?
I believe it spans from nature and always wanting to infuse elements of nature into the work,
keeping it as “down to earth as possible”. That way, when its been looked at you really cant tell
what year or even decade it was photographed. This is possible because I try to stick within
natural scapes, land, trees, water and even horses. There’s also an undeniable beauty to them.
Some sort of fierce passion which is also incredible to photograph.
Who do you look up to?
My parents.
