Nii Obodai, from the series “Messengers of the Gods”
Since 2016, Nuku Studio and Noorderlicht (House of Photography in The Netherlands) have been collaborating on a photographic research project “Northern Ghana Life” with the vision to tell stories of the rather undocumented region of the country. After the launch of the first photo book and exhibition in 2018 during the Nuku Photo Festival, the project is now entering a new phase. Photographers Nii Obodai and Nyani Quarmyne have started to work on new stories about the Dagomba and the Gonja, to be released in two photo books.
“This project is an ambitious, long-awaited collaboration,” says Nii Obodai, Founder of Nuku Studio. “Nyani and I have begun to research and discuss our approach, seeking to find common ground on the aesthetics and narrative structure. We are very much aware of the complexities of this mission to produce two books on two very dominant, proud cultures that have rich histories, much of which are untold through photographic narrative. Our challenge is to publish what we hope will become seminal photography from a Ghanaian perspective.”
Recently, the Northern Region of Ghana has been split into three regions, which changes the political and traditional hierarchies and relationships. Focus will be on what it means to be a citizen and how to visualise traditions, histories and ways of life that are continually being redefined by the contemporary pressures of today’s politics, religions and technologies.
Nuku Studio is also planning to officially launch the Centre for Photographic Research and Practice in Tamale, which hosted the first “Northern Ghana Life” exhibition last year. The project team is managed by Nuku’s Marc Prüst with support from partners.