Ẹ̀WÀ ÉDO” – “The Beauty of Edo”
For my first project of the year (and first in almost three years) I decided to bring my mind home and to explore the richness of the culture around me ❤️
“A visual homage to the grandeur of the Benin Kingdom, where power, heritage, and divinity intertwine. The rich red symbolizes the sacred essence of royalty and the bloodline of warriors, while the deep green represents the fertility of the land and the endurance of its people. Gold, a mark of prestige, echoes the kingdom’s artistic and spiritual wealth. This project reimagines the past through a modern lens, honoring a legacy that remains unshaken.”
Credits:
The best muse @mrcollinsblaise
Skin work @loludoesmake.up
Set design @sdw_creativity_
Collins wears @oshobor (thank you so much for believing in this vision)
Photographed, styled and directed by me #chuchuojekwe
#chuchuojekwe #lagosnigeria
“Of fire and Of Gold”
Glad to share my first project of the year in collaboration with @ay0po ❤️
Credits:
Face art/ make up @ayopoabiri
Model @kasarache
Makeup assisted by cvntia
Photographed and directed by me.
Thank you @ay0po for listening to my crazy idea at the most ungodly hour of the night and for the 12 hours you spent bringing our crazy idea to life ❤️
@kasarache for showing up and being the best muse for our vision. cvntia for assisting and being heaven sent to us ❤️
Hope you love it as much as we do ❤️
#chuchuojekwe #lagosnigeria
@nomzamo_m the official host of the #amvca12 👸🏽
Photographed and directed by me #chuchuojekwe
Styled by @dahmola
Makeup: @bibiyonce
Hair: @adefunkeee
#chuchuojekwe #lagosnigeria
🇳🇬 📷 Nigerian photographer Chukwudebelu ‘Chuchu’ Ojekwe's photo series Ẹ̀WÀ ÉDO - Beauty of Edo will be exhibited at Somerset House, London.
The photo was shortlisted in the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards - Open category, as one of the best images from 2025.
It is a special tribute to the Kingdom of Benin and the legacy of the Edo culture.
Chuchu's work will be showcased alongside other Sony Award winners from around the world, from 17 April - 4 May.
I am pleased to share that Ẹ̀WÀ ÉDO will be showcased at Somerset House, London.
As part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition, this moment places the work within a wider global conversation of image-making.
I’m proud to see this series take up space on such a stage.
If you find yourself in London during the exhibition, I hope you encounter it. Please feel free to reach out for a discount code 🤍
#chuchuojekwe
