Calm Amidst the Hurricane

A Photograph by Victor Akhere

Oct 05, 2022

The young man stretches on the sofa in a languorous pose. The absence of his feet—how the photograph shows only a part of his shorts—makes it seem as though he is in descent. A track of light is cast across his body, towards a curtain folded in neat columns. This picture, as such, places his body in a room shy of light—a truth most poignant in a rectangular frame above his head. The dark presence of the unknown form is as beguiling as a strange face in a short dream.

Victor Akhere: “Photography gives me the freedom to communicate without necessarily having to explain myself.”

I took this picture at my house, in the sitting room.
I remember waking up, walking towards the sitting room and seeing the sunlight come in through the windows. I'd seen this happen almost everyday and don't know why exactly I found it fascinating that morning, maybe because I'd been struggling to "actively" see light and realized that I could now see it. But whatever it was, I'd never felt that way before.
I called my brother and asked him to pose for me.
Seeing him lie on the chair, the light falling softly on his skin, many thoughts went through my mind: memories of growing up, thoughts about my future, our future, many thoughts, and I took the picture.
It feels like a self-portrait.
I love how it perfectly embodies the emotions that I felt while photographing him, how although it's a photograph of my brother, it reminds me too much of myself.
Growing up, I experienced a bit of social anxiety and although I do a great job hiding it now, I don't think I've successfully outgrown it yet.
Photography gives me the freedom to communicate without necessarily having to explain myself.
Emotions are at the center of my work.
Beyond aesthetics, whether I'm shooting conceptual work, fashion or portraits, I want to look at my work and "feel something."
Human memory is fleeting; we do not remember things exactly as they were. Photography helps preserve memories and that in itself is something beautiful.

Support Victor Akhere

“I'm just starting out,” says Victor about his work. “I try to capture the humanness of my subjects, their beauty and vulnerabilities, letting my emotions out at the same time.” You can follow his work on Instagram.

Last Week — Teresa Menka

The photograph has more meaning now than when I made it because it captures the remnant of a tragic day in Accra and it's a reminder for me to continue to photograph, no matter what is happening.

Read more: The Morning After

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This is the 35th edition of this publication. Every week I feature one photograph and the photographer who took it: you’d read a short caption from me, and a statement from the photographer. My goal is to set up conversations with the work of early to mid-career African photographers. If this newsletter was shared with you, consider subscribing, and if you have already subscribed, please forward to a friend who loves photography.