By Osita Mbonu
Visual storytelling has evolved. And with photography as one of the powerful element of storytelling tools, it has transitioned from mere leisure picture collection practice to a creative innovation.
This comes, as some creatives have stepped from the conventional practice to a more eco-space exploration using the power of lens to tell deeper stories.
Segun Emmanuel Akinremi is a Nigerian-UK based fine-art photographer and visual artist. The evolving photographer who originally established in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018 before moving to explore the creative space in the United Kingdom, was the founder of Kaboom Films, that had his early career defined by a mastery of narrative-led visual storytelling.
Akinremi tries to explore the evocative intersections of landscape, memory, and cultural identity through the lens. It is significant to note that his purposeful relocation in pursuant of greater height made in 2023 has undergone a significant conceptual pivot, transitioning his technical expertise into a dedicated fine-art practice.
The conceptually-driven photographer who was officially registered as a UK sole proprietorship in June 2024; an impactful move that repositioned his career and a practice that gained traction within the British visual arts circuit.
Akinremi’s innovate push in photography has also, culminated into series of curated gallery placements and international exhibitions.
His practice exists at the fluid boundary between applied and visual art. He is a gatherer of ‘unnoticed moments,’ those quiet, liminal spaces in daily life that often go unseen but hold profound social and cultural weight.
Attesting to that narrative brings to fore, a purview of one of his works titled; “The Silent Witness (Clock Tower)” exhibited under Hidden Assets/Photopia & Hastings Arts Forum.
Akinremi, in this piece of work, captures a stone edifice that feels both permanent and ethereal. The clock tower stands as a sentinel of time, framed by the wild, reaching branches of ancient trees.
By selecting this for the ‘Hidden Assets’ theme, Akinremi suggests that the truest assets of a landscape are its history and its endurance. The composition plays with the juxtaposition of man-made symmetry against organic chaos, forcing the viewer to look past the “facade” and find the hidden value in the passage of time.
He evokes a study of English heritage through the eyes of a new arrival, finding wonder in the foundational. Segun’s career is a story of technical foundation meeting conceptual maturity. From the vibrant, fast-paced media landscape of Lagos, to the broader and serene space in the UK, the conceptual enigma tries to build a reputation for high-end visual production with the formalization of his UK studio practice.
This, according to his visual statement, has acted as a catalyst for a deeper, more introspective exploration of his medium.
The transition from the commercial “Kaboom Films” to a formalized UK fine-art practice represents a deliberate shift from creating for others to observing for the collective. This journey, from the high-energy streets of Nigeria to the contemplative landscapes of Kent and beyond, informs a unique “outsider-looking-in” perspective.
It allows him to document the UK’s heritage and environment with a fresh, inquisitive lens that seeks to bridge cultural gaps through visual archaeology.
Through the still photography works, Akinremi utilizes the British landscape as a canvas to explore the weight of memory and the complexities of human journeys.
His work is an invitation to pause; one that prompt the viewer to reflect on the architecture of belonging and the invisible threads that connect our personal histories to the spaces we inhabit.
Another fascinating work that defines Akinremi’s intense approach to aesthetic rigour is seen in a particular work exhibited under Henarch Galleries titled: “Boundaries of the Ascent ‘Hot Air Balloon.” This image is a masterful exploration of the “liminal.” A hot air balloon suspended over a quintessential English country road, framed by the lush greens of a Kentish spring.
For an exhibition themed ‘Boundaries and Borders,’ Akinremi presents a clever subversion: the road represents the physical, grounded boundaries we travel daily, while the balloon represents the transcendent ability to rise above them.
Highlighting the visual dept in the work, Akinremi’s compositions explored the inclusion of commercial branding on the balloon adds, a layer of modern “connection,” suggesting that in a globalized world, borders are increasingly porous.
The vibrant blue of the sky against the winding asphalt creates a visual tension between the urge to stay and the necessity of the journey.
Segun’s creative trajectory, informed by his divergent visual exploration, defines a creative ingenuity that tells a living story. He has strived to take visual art to the next level, harping on the power of lens.
A critical view of his selected works and the underlying dept, further prompts a viewer’s connection to his subconscious self and his environment. With Segun’s bold approach to photography, the art of lens ignites an unprecedented nudge for visual appreciation.
