"Abaja" Photograph - Limited Edition of 10

One of the most imaginative minds working the camera in Nigeria today, Hakeem began making images in his mind as a child, and started capturing them in 1989 when he bought his first camera, a Pentax point-and-shoot Obscura. The fascination with still images grew, but he remained in his dark room making private photographs until 2001, when he began shooting real people with a Pentax SLR. Hakeem is a Chartered Estate Surveyor and Valuer, having graduated in the discipline in 1992, from the University of Lagos. Since 2007 he has engaged the profession of photography seeking the uncommon beauty in the viewing lens of the camera. Aside from the sociocultural trappings of his work is its pedagogical merit. Hakeem did an executive programme at the Lagos Business School, worked in estate firms and the Lagos State Government until March 2010 when he voluntarily retired to follow his heart. A widely published photographer, he is interested in documentary, travel and landscape, portrait and fashion photography, and he is the recipient of the Fashion photographer of The Year Award. His work has been exhibited both locally and internationally. His work, Skin Deep was exhibited in 2019 at the Ake Festival held at the Mike Adenuga Center, Ikoyi, Lagos. His most recent exhibitions, EKOMO, an exploration of African Musical heritage through traditional instruments held at the Pancras Library, Camden, London, 2023 and Ili, a journey through African Fabrics, 2022 held at Moeshen Gallery, Abuja and Lagos