The Omooba Yemisi
Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation (OYASAF) has invited entries for its
annual photo competition. The contest, open to professional and amateur
photographers, is to create a platform for the development of
photography as an art medium in Nigeria.
Photographs which promote the tradition and cultures of Africa, but specifically Nigeria, are what the organisers want.
At a press
conference on Wednesday, March 17, patron of OYASAF, Yemisi Shyllon,
explained why the foundation introduced the competition. He said it is
to unite photographers and aid them in networking. The competition, he
added, will help build a photography bank on the arts, people, crafts,
and customs of Africa and complement the work of OYASAF as a pioneer
private art and antiques centre.
Areas of interest
Shyllon, one of
Nigeria’s major art collectors, also affirmed that photography has
taken a prime position in the creative arts in the country. He said
focal areas of entries include, but are not limited to, head attires,
dressing and traditional attires, body adornment and traditional dances
and festivals. Other areas of interest are royalty and its
paraphernalia, musicians, traditional craftsmen, traditional customs
and portraits of faces across Africa.
Submission of
entries is open till June 15, 2010 and will lead to a photography
exhibition. The 30 final best entries will be showcased at the OYASAF
Annual Photo Exhibition which holds on October 1 every year.
Right medium
At the conference,
attended by Sidney Akaphiare, Nathaniel Ajibola, Jude Anogwhi, Ariyo
Oguntimeyin and other winners of the last completion, Akaphiare, chair
of the team organising this year’s contest, stated that there is a need
for photojournalists to showcase their works. He added that the OYASAF
competition is the right medium for them.
Akaphiare explained
that nearly 16,000 images on Nigeria are stored in America’s
Smithsonian Institute while the National Archives of Nigeria can only
boast of about 300images. “We need images from across Nigeria to build
a worthy photo banks and then we will stop borrowing from the
Smithsonian Institute,” he said.
Last year’s winning
photos were displayed on the grounds of the OYASAF premises for viewing
after the conference while the photographers discussed their works.
Some members of the
media will be part of the jury to select the initial 15 works out of
which the OYASAF jury will select the final five.
Submission of
entries is open online until June 15. Along with the completed
application forms obtainable at www.oyasaf.org, interested contestants
are to send not more than five photos each to photos@oyasaf.org on a
JPEG format.
Copies of selected works will thereafter require physical delivery to the foundation.
The competition carries a cash prize of N150, 000, N100, 000 and
N50, 000 for the overall three winners. There will be consolation
prizes of photo printers and flash drives for other participants.
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