FREE THE WORK
Photograph by Walé Oyéjidé
Walé Oyéjidé is one of 20 Fellows who were awarded the inaugural Image Equity Fellowship. Learn more here.
Pillars (2022) by Walé OyéjidéFREE THE WORK
A black and white portrait of a young girl standing between stone columns.
When COVID-19 began to hit statewide, Walé Oyéjidé, like many other artists at the time, found himself turning to his domestic space and those he shared it with to create new work. The resulting series, Joy and Daughter at the end of the world, is an intimate yet joyous reflection of life with his ten-year-old daughter in these precarious years.
Make Home Anyplace (2022) by Walé OyéjidéFREE THE WORK
A young girl lying in a hotel bed after tucking-in her collection of dolls.
Weaving together a mix of stated scenes and naturalistic images, Oyéjidé depicts the sense of imagination of a child at this age, bringing a sense of play and fantasy to each of his photographs. For Oyéjidé, who has a background in film and fashion, the beauty in his photographs is a deliberate attempt to challenge narratives around fatherhood that are often negative—particularly for people of color.
Regal Domestic (2022) by Walé OyéjidéFREE THE WORK
A portrait of a young girl clothed in traditional Yoruba garb, while standing with her immigrant grandparents in an American backyard.
The role of collaboration between himself and his daughter further bolsters this idea, allowing her to have a direct hand in her own representation, as well as transforming photography into an act of father-daughter bonding. “We all connect in whatever ways we can,” says Oyéjidé. “But as an artist, the tools that I have are storytelling or photography.”
Editorial statement by Aperture.
Roaming I (2022) by Walé OyéjidéFREE THE WORK
Close-up portrait of young girl looking out from a desolate island.
Roaming II (2022) by Walé OyéjidéFREE THE WORK
Distant portrait of a child seated against the landscape of a tree and the seaside while far from home.
Legacy (2022) by Walé OyéjidéFREE THE WORK
A young girl practicing her violin under the tutelage of her mother.
Le père, la fille et le ballon (2022) by Walé OyéjidéFREE THE WORK
Surrounded by artifacts of their heritage, a seated father and his kneeling daughter holding a balloon.
I am only the first man to tremble before you (2022) by Walé OyéjidéFREE THE WORK
Close-up of portrait a young girl staring into the lens.
The Daughter (2022) by Walé OyéjidéFREE THE WORK
Close-up black and white portrait of a young-hooded girl standing in the woods.
Normal Domestic (2022) by Walé OyéjidéFREE THE WORK
A black and white portrait of a young girl tossing a bucket of water while standing in a vineyard.
Walé Oyéjidé
Click below to see more work from this Pennsylvania-based image maker:
Web: waleoyejide.com
IG: @ikirejones
Explore the other 2022 Image Equity Fellows’ final projects and learn more about the Fellowship here.
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