Ollie Tikare captures the calm and chaos of Lagos in his photography exhibition Èkó

For those of us who have visited Lagos, whether born in the city or Detty December regulars, we know that it is far from a monolith. The charm (and oftentimes curse) of Lagos lies in its unpredictability - unexpected moments that are an inevitable part of the everyday. London-based Photographer Ollie Babajide Tikare captures this versatile spirit beautifully in his solo exhibition Èkó. Having first visited Lagos in 2023, British-Nigerian artist Ollie recalls a welcome of familiarity, "The experience felt surreal [...] what makes Lagos feel like a home away from home to me isn’t just my heritage – it’s my uncle and my young cousins as well as my friend Tosin who hosts me when I visit. They all make me feel so welcome, and I love that.” This warmth can be felt through his photographs.

Throughout the exhibition Ollie captures a range of both posed and candid photos, but an unmissable thread weaving through all his imagery is a feeling of comfort. The collection appears to be a mixture of people both known and new to the photographer, however from a man cycling one-handed with the other pressing his phone to a posed picture of a lady in red, all the poeple across Ollie photographs appear relaxed into the idea of being seen - not watched.

The exhibition also marks the launch of a photobook under the same name, the photobook acts as a more permanent expansion of the exhibition.

"A city of millions, moving here and there, everywhere. Mini-buses, taxis, motorcycles, private cars, articulated lorries, pedestrians, street hawkers, the police, the military, traffic controllers, the thick air, the unbearable heat, closing, constant", says the photobook foreword by British-Nigerian photographer, author and curator Akinbode Akinbiyi. Lagos has it all, and all at once too. And like the exhibition, the book captures every day human moments – documenting the calm, the chaos, the dust, colour and a visceral sense of life in this vast Nigerian city. The exhibition is open until the 10th of October, visits are by appointment only. To RSVP, contact Guest Editions.