Osaze Efe is an international photo festival curator based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is interested in exploring new representations of visual engagement and expanding artistic conversations about social change. As an art festival curator, he has provided a juncture for reflection, inspiration, and interaction on the power of photography for developmental advocacy and advancement.
Osaze fosters a creative space for artists, cultural promoters, and art entrepreneurs to network, create, and amplify stories worth hearing. Since 2017, the Abuja Photo Festival has worked with more than 3,000 young people, unlocking their creative energy to document critical narratives while providing mentorship that supports their creative career journey. In 2021, Osaze launched the project “En Route,” which offers a fresh view on how migration is impacting the Nigerian cultural landscape.
Osaze Efe’s primary interest is in cultural dynamism and its role in sustainable development for society. He has served as an art for development consultant on different projects with UNDP, UNESCO, World Intellectual Property Organization, Embassies of China, Spain and Sweden in Nigeria. Osaze Efe is married and lives in Abuja.
This project leveraged the tool of visual storytelling (photography and short films) to heighten human rights awareness among citizens, the government and other stakeholders. Four photographers and a short film maker participated in a workshop where they were trained on ethical visual documentation of human rights narratives. They then documented stories in line with the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and their final products were used as educational tools to raise awareness about human rights issues in schools. The newly trained storytellers also participated in the Abuja photo festival in October, which gave them a chance to showcase their work to a larger audience. One participant reflected that the workshop was "an eye-opener for me…it has inspired [me to] be deliberate about how I tell stories using my lens.”
Osaze also moderated the IVLP Impact Awards Alumni Discussion Series panel on “Advancing Human Rights for Marginalized Communities,” which you can read more about here.
This project used visual storytelling to increase public participation in the electoral process in Nigeria. Using photography as a communication tool, the project heightened citizen awareness of their role in strengthening democracy. Ten photojournalists/documentary photographers were selected from more than 100 applicants to participate in a Masterclass, and were then mobilized to create images encouraging voters to get involved in the electoral process. The photos were displayed publicly in high traffic areas around Nigeria’s capital city Abuja.
Osaze participated in the IVLP Project: Promoting Social Change through the Arts, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Mississippi Consortium for International Development in 2022. Osaze also participated in the IVLP Project: Promoting Social Change through the Arts, organized by the U.S. Department of State and by FHI 360 in 2021.
Osaze's exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "The locations I visited and people I met inspired me to stay resilient in my practice as an artist and art promoter, to speak up [to create] more equality and justice using the arts."
Colorado Springs, CO; Washington, DC; New York City, NY
Washington, DC; Orlando, FL; Minneapolis, MN; Albuquerque, NM; Santa Fe, NM
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