Aisha Bada
“The Black gaze means identifying Black people for who they are. It’s important because Black people are Black for a reason and they shouldn’t be looked at weirdly. Knowing who they are and treating them as humans is key.”
How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice?
I am a person of colour and I love to photograph black people too. I know who these people are and I let them be themselves.
What do you want to say or address with your photography?
I want people to just breathe after having a feeling of being heard.
What influences and inspires you? How is this reflected in your work?
I am inspired greatly by my grandfather who passed away in 2020. He inspired me to want to genuinely help others especially when they have medical/health problems because he had one that I couldn’t help him with before he left.
Who are your favourite Black photographers from the past? Why?
I don’t really know black photographers from the past but I have one black photographer of mine that I really admire. He’s my mentor. His name is Jide Alakija. Interestingly I call him my old man lol.
Please describe the highs and lows of your experience as a Black photographer?
The fear of photographing on the street is one thing. I haven’t been able to do that in a while. As a black photographer in Nigeria, other black people mostly don’t want to be photographed too which is also a huge challenge.
What work are you producing and what more would you like to do?
I am currently working on two projects, one would take months so I’d probably release it in 2021 while the other one is a long term project i started in 2020. I don’t know when I’ll release that one, I don’t have a date in mind.
Aisha Bada is a medical doctor in training and photojournalist based in Lagos, Nigeria; her work is inspired by a passion to tell visual stories that would create awareness of various environmental, medical and health issues.