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| Some albinos at the exhibition tagged: Angels Amongst Men, organised recently in Lagos by OAM Foundation and Damilola Onafuwa recently in Lagos |
...Launches Angels Amongst Men
Chioma Umeha
To debunk the myths and misconce p t i o n s
associated with albinism in Africa, especially Nigeria, Onome Akinlolu Majaro
(OAM) Foundation in collaboration with Damilola Onafuwa last week held a
photography exhibition tagged ”Angels amongst Men.’
With an estimated figure of over two million
people, the rate of albinism in Nigeria is ranked among the highest in the
world. This makes them one of the largest vulnerable groups in the country
today, says OAM Foundation.
With his latest series, Angels Amongst Men,
documentary photographer, Onafuwa – whose work is typically centred around
social issues and other human interest stories – is exploring the lives of
Nigerians with albinism.
The series seeks to demystify albinism, featured
the special character of the pale skinned, light haired, rose-coloured or blue
eyes humans otherwise known as albinos.
It also celebrates the Nigerians who have, in
spite of the negativity associated with the colour of their skin, how they
thrive in spite of the lack of melanin in their ‘African skin’ and have
excelled.
Onafuwa, a visual artist, who addressed
journalists during the exhibition in Lagos, says it was his first solo
exhibition, noting that albinism in Africa is associated with negative
connotation, and in many parts of Africa, people living with albinism are often
times faced with these societal issues.
The visual artist further explains, the exhibition
was strictly to expose, educate and inspire truth of the condition.
It “debunks myths as well as celebrates people
living with albinism that have, in spite of all odds lived above it and made a
life for themselves.”
“The title, Angels Amongst Men does not intend to
fetishise or refer to people living with albinism as literal angels or as
superior.
“It rather refers to everyone who has chosen to
rise and live above stereotypical judgments against people of a different race,
colour or gender; people who choose not to be limited by short-sighted and
shallow standards of men, but treat all with a scale of equality.”
For Damilola, “it is a project put together in
love for humanity, aimed at dignifying the subjects photographed, and
celebrates beauty in difference.”
The Co-Founder, Majaro, reveals that the art works
will be shown in several other countries because albinism is in every part of
the world.
Onome also says OAM has reached over 2000 albinos
since inception with education, scholarships, free sunscreens, Joint Admissions
and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms and pay lesson fees for albinos etc.
She adds the Foundation will dole out another sets
of scholarships, sunscreens to mark this year’s world Albinism, by June this
year.
Onome who is living with albinism advises albinos
to learn to love themselves, despite stigma and discrimination against them.
The climax of the event was the exhibition of 16
art works and a book called, ‘Angels Among Men,’ where some of the works not
exhibited were captured.
The exhibition series which took place at The
White Space Lagos ran for a week.
