Alabi-Hundeyin, Nigerian documentary photographer, celebrates African diversity in ‘Not A Country’

Tunde Alabi-Hundeyin II, a documentary photographer and doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex, UK, is exploring African attires and fabrics in his latest exhibition titled “Not A Country”.

The exhibition, which is ongoing at Jubilee Library, Brighton, UK, is expected to run from May 9 to May 21, 2023, as part of the Brighton Fringe, the largest arts festival in England with an estimated 400,000 visitors in 2022.

According to Alabi-Hundeyin II, “Not A Country examines the notion of Africa as a homogeneous geographical entity; instead, it celebrates the continent as a cultural powerhouse Through an exploration of various attires and textiles, the project interrogates the black body within the British landscape.”

“The exhibits recognise the significance of fabric as a representation of a community’s shared identity across the entire African continent, from the northern Sahara to the southern Cape.

“The series of photographs prompt discussions on how colonialism, capitalism, religion, and globalisation have impacted the traditional dresses of indigenous peoples across the continent, encompassing 3000 tribes in 54 countries.”

The exhibition employs “migrant postgraduate students as models” and the project “scrutinises their material culture, using articles of clothing as intricate tribal symbols that represent history, culture, and the complexities of migration, identity, and difference”.

Alabi-Hundeyin II had previously amplified the voices and images of Nigerian children who want to kill Boko Haram. The project, which was a huge success, also drew interest from the United Nations when it was exhibited at the United Nations 52nd Commission on Population Development conference in New York.

Alabi-Hundeyin is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), UK, a member of Africa No Filter (ANF), and a member of the African Photojournalism Database (APJD) – a project of the World Press Photo and Everyday Africa that aims to offer a more diverse representation of the African continent.

He has executed many media projects for charity and corporate organisations, some of which have been broadcast, published online, and in traditional media.