Brother’s Keeper

A Photograph by David Nana Opoku Ansah

It’s almost as if an invisible mirror stands between the two bare-backed young men. Facing one another, a firm greeting of their hands binds their silhouettes together. Their feet meet while their chests are apart – leaning back into the arid landscape that surrounds them. Perhaps this act of holding is an act of magnetism, of coming together into one being.

— Sana Ginwalla

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“I strive not to intrude but to understand, to listen intently to the stories that unfold before me.”

There is a Ghanaian proverb about unity which states, Praye, se woyi baako a na ebu: wokabomu a emmu (Twi spelling: prayɛ, sɛ woyi baako a na ebu; wokabomu a emmu), which when literally translated means: when you remove one broomstick it breaks, but when you put them together they do not break. The saying simply means that power and growth is slow or non-existent if you do things individually, but if you work as a community, you move faster and grow significantly.

The title and creation of this image stemmed from this proverb. Seeing twins as a representation of this symbiosis, I decided to work with a pair for this project. I reached out to an art director friend Kofi Annan who happened to know twins in our neighbourhood. We quickly casted the brothers and briefed them about how we wanted to portray and play on the dynamic between twins. In the end, the photograph felt like people floating into each other, which elated me as I haven’t felt that from an image in a while.

Shot in Accra, Brother’s Keeper also forms part of a series called “Area Boys” that sought to depict how coming-of-age boys can show emotions and be vulnerable through movement. The project was inspired by Vivian Sassen’s earlier works in Kenya. It challenges the conventional norms of photography prevalent in my region, where commercial photography often takes centre stage. 

Growing up, photography was a way to immortalize cherished memories, and this sentiment remains at the heart of my work. Whether commissioned or personal, my goal is unwavering: to portray my subjects in their best light, honouring their experiences with sincerity, respect and empathy. As a silent observer, I seek to unveil the essence of people and their environments. I strive not to intrude but to understand, to listen intently to the stories that unfold before me.

— David Nana Opoku Ansah

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About David Nana Opoku Ansah

David Nana Opoku Ansah, an artist and filmmaker from Ghana, explores themes of freedom, vulnerability, and humanity through analogue and digital photography. His “Area Boys” project delves into the coming-of-age experiences of Ghanaian boys, bridging his roots with his evolving artistic identity. David has exhibited in Ghana and Paris, and in 2022, he joined the British Fashion Awards' New Creative Class. His accolades include the 2020 PhMuseum’s New Generation award and notably shooting his first magazine cover featuring Kendrick Lamar. You can see more of David’s work on his website, Instagram and read his interview on ItsNiceThat.

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This is the 115th edition of this publication, edited by Sana Ginwalla, one of our editorial fellows. The newsletter also read on web (best for viewing images), and via the Substack iOS/Android apps.

TENDER PHOTO is a newsletter on African photography. Every Wednesday we feature a photograph and a short caption about it, and include a statement from the photographer. Last year, we published commentaries or photo-essays in response to photographs previously featured on the newsletter, including CORRESPONDENCES, CONCORDANCE, KINDRED, and INDEX. The ongoing series, AFFINITIES, will run from March 1–April 26.

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