Nigerian photographer, Noma Osula is a creative, born and raised in Nigeria. Osula, Like many creatives originating from West Africa, attributes much of his artistic inspiration for photography to the ever-bubbly city of Lagos in Nigeria. Walking through the streets of Lagos, his assertion is proven right, as the surroundings are indeed a sight to behold.
Osula’s artistic works comprise of bright hues, animated gestures and rival textures all derived from the usual daily life in Lagos. Trudging between the line of fashion and enfolding portraits, the artist acknowledges and renews the African Aesthetic. He admits that he draws his inspiration from his immediate surroundings and uses the camera to bring this to reality.
Osula has always had an in-depth love for art and all things creative, but his concern in the medium developed towards the ends of his schooling in the university when he self-taught himself how to use a camera and to explore the feasibility of photography.
He believes that creativity allows self-expression and that becoming an artist has helped him gain more self-acceptance, cultural understanding, and representation. It is these notions that have challenged him to question societal norms and stereotypes through his art.
Most often his muse is seen wearing glamorous and exaggerated pieces, embracing their African heritage while exploring the different values of the African Aesthetic – part of his bid to reconstruct the perception of beauty and perfection in African cultures.
Osula’s exploration into the world of photography has taken him to great heights, but what remains the most paramount to him is the notion of pursuing an idea and watching it come to fulfilment.