In his new body of work, Kingsley Otu, a social documentary photographer, examines the lives and livelihoods of Tarkwa Bay Island, a fishing community in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. The series is part of Unusual Room I, a virtual exhibition hosted by Holy Art from 28 August to 28 September 2023. The group exhibition features diverse works across sculpture, painting and photography. Otu’s five selected works Unusual Room include “Ocean’s Harvest Arranged: A Fisherman’s Market Gallery”, “Coastal Artistry: A Fisherman’s Drying Symphony”, “Serenade of the Seas: A Fisherwoman’s Timeless Art”, “Harvest of the Tides” and “Sea’s Harvest”.

In “Harvest of the Tides”, a group of eight men and boys are captured in mid-graft, dragging a vast net onto the beach, after a round of fishing. Their postures are not in sync. Some are sitting on the floor while others are standing upright. But there is rhythm in their concerted effort for a good catch, that of shared toil and a shared goal. 

In “Serenade of the Seas”, a middle aged woman is seen placing mackerels on a metal grill, over an unlit hearth.

She is wearing a headscarf, blue polo shirt and commemorative wax prints with blurred letters. She represents an immediate market for fishermen, before their catch is transported to other, larger markets. The woman’s choice of polo shirt and wax prints suggests workwear that is convenient and dignifying.

Through evocative visuals, the collection also sheds light on the vital role of women in the community, skillfully capturing moments of fish processing and the art of smoking fish, which have been integral parts of their heritage for generations.

All five of Otu’s images in Unusual Room I are an ode to a fishing community, a recognition of unsung labour. The works also bring visibility to coastal communities of Tarkwa Bay Island Lagos, making them centre stage to a public imagination.

Sabo Kpade is an art writer and curator who specialises in the arts and cultures of Africa.