Apah Benson is a Nigerian visual artist and photographer whose work bridges identity, culture, beauty, and socio-political issues through surreal storytelling. His artistic journey began with poetry—an intimate means of processing emotions—before evolving into photography as a way to explore deeper visual narratives.
Merging fine art, fashion, and documentary photography, Apah celebrates the richness of dark skin tones while unraveling intricate narratives of freedom and self-expression. His images masterfully weave light and shadow, creating striking compositions that blur the line between reality and illusion without excessive manipulation. Through this approach, he challenges viewers to rethink the nature of photography itself, sparking conversations on culture, identity, and society.
His work has gained international recognition, with exhibitions at Art Basel Miami, Haute Photographie Amsterdam, Paris Photo with Kahmann Gallery, and The African Foto Fair by Aida Muluneh, among others. A pioneer in the fusion of blockchain and art, he curated The Inception, Africa’s first Solana-based exhibition, and founded a thriving Web3 DAO for emerging artists. In 2023, he was shortlisted for the Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Art and a semi-finalist for the Tilga Art Prize 2024.
Having recently completed the Co-Cr8 Experimental Cross-Disciplinary Residency, Apah continues to push the boundaries of fine art photography, using his lens to explore untold stories and redefine contemporary African visual culture.