biography
Dafe Oboro (b. 1994) is an artist working predominantly in photography, film and sound. Dafe has taken on the roles of casting director, producer, director, and photographer, embracing a multifaceted approach to storytelling. Drawing motifs from fashion and popular culture, Dafe uses evocative sound and imagery to contemplate questions of masculinity, movement across time and space, and the social-political state of contemporary Nigeria, and greater Africa. Dafe aims to destabilize the often reductive understandings of Africa in mainstream popular media, and open up room for a more nuanced engagement with the realities of the artist’s cultural context.
Dafe Oboro is the founder of dafe, a full service creative media company that has played a strong hand in bringing visions to life for the likes of Beyoncé, Ayra Starr, Asake, Davido, and brands/clients like Patta NL, Vlisco, Zalando, WaterAid, Native Networks, MOWALOLA.
The artist lives and works between Lagos, Nigeria, London, UK and Accra, Ghana.
selected press
The Walt Disney Company
Art X Lagos
WaterAid
SHOWStudio
Adobe Create
THE ART MOMENTUM
Culture Diaries
BOF
African Business
selected clients & publications
Beyonce/Parkwood Entertainment, Zalando, Patta x Tommy Jeans, Miu Miu x Garage Magazine, Vlisco, MOWALOLA, Nike, WaterAid, Wepresent, Dazed Magazine, i-D Magazine, Guernica Magazine, Ottolinger, Maxivive, The FaceMagazine, Native Sound System - Lojay, Ayra Starr, Patta x Mephisto, Rolling Stone - Asake, Native Magazine - Davido, Abiola Olusola.
awards & honours
2024: Independent Photographer Award, Open Call, Winner.
2023: Art X Prize, Winner.
2022: Outstanding Alumni Award, Nottingham Trent University, UK.
2020: The Future Awards Africa, Winner.
2020: Dazed100, Nominee.
2021: Recording Academy, Grammy Awards - Best Music Film Nominee, Black Is King/Beyoncé.
2016: Amnesty International Student Awards, UK - 1st Runner Up.
2016: Nottingham Micro Film Festival, UK - Best Student Documentary.
2016: Nottingham Trent University, UK - Best Student Documentary.
2018: Fashion Film Festival Milano - Best New Fashion Film Nominee, Kilon Shele Gan Gan.
Dafe Oboro (b. 1994) is an artist working predominantly in photography, film and sound. Dafe has taken on the roles of casting director, producer, director, and photographer, embracing a multifaceted approach to storytelling. Drawing motifs from fashion and popular culture, Dafe uses evocative sound and imagery to contemplate questions of masculinity, movement across time and space, and the social-political state of contemporary Nigeria, and greater Africa. Dafe aims to destabilize the often reductive understandings of Africa in mainstream popular media, and open up room for a more nuanced engagement with the realities of the artist’s cultural context.
Dafe Oboro is the founder of dafe, a full service creative media company that has played a strong hand in bringing visions to life for the likes of Beyoncé, Ayra Starr, Asake, Davido, and brands/clients like Patta NL, Vlisco, Zalando, WaterAid, Native Networks, MOWALOLA.
The artist lives and works between Lagos, Nigeria, London, UK and Accra, Ghana.
selected press
The Walt Disney Company
Art X Lagos
WaterAid
SHOWStudio
Adobe Create
THE ART MOMENTUM
Culture Diaries
BOF
African Business
selected clients & publications
Beyonce/Parkwood Entertainment, Zalando, Patta x Tommy Jeans, Miu Miu x Garage Magazine, Vlisco, MOWALOLA, Nike, WaterAid, Wepresent, Dazed Magazine, i-D Magazine, Guernica Magazine, Ottolinger, Maxivive, The FaceMagazine, Native Sound System - Lojay, Ayra Starr, Patta x Mephisto, Rolling Stone - Asake, Native Magazine - Davido, Abiola Olusola.
awards & honours
2024: Independent Photographer Award, Open Call, Winner.
2023: Art X Prize, Winner.
2022: Outstanding Alumni Award, Nottingham Trent University, UK.
2020: The Future Awards Africa, Winner.
2020: Dazed100, Nominee.
2021: Recording Academy, Grammy Awards - Best Music Film Nominee, Black Is King/Beyoncé.
2016: Amnesty International Student Awards, UK - 1st Runner Up.
2016: Nottingham Micro Film Festival, UK - Best Student Documentary.
2016: Nottingham Trent University, UK - Best Student Documentary.
2018: Fashion Film Festival Milano - Best New Fashion Film Nominee, Kilon Shele Gan Gan.
education & recidencies
July-Sept 2023: Gasworks London, UK
2013-2016: BA (Hons) Broadcast Journalism, Nottingham Trent University, UK.
2012-2013: Foundation Degree, Business Pathway, Gloucestershire College, UK
screenings, exhibitions & festivals
October Gallery, Emergent Energies. May 30, 2024 - June 29, 2024.
Who Is In The Garden - Thursday’s Child x Photo Book Cafe: You Is For Unity. March 14 - 17, 2024
Odafe - ART X Lagos. November 2 - 5, 2023.
Pour Me Water, Pure Water - Royal Museums Greenwich, Our Connection To Water. March 31, 2023 - Februray 2024.
A Beautiful Struggle - V&A Museum, Friday Late: African Fashions on Film. January 29, 2021.
A Beautiful Struggle - Yale African Film Festival, 2021.
A Beautiful Struggle - London Short Film Festival, Official Selection 2021.
A Beautiful Struggle - Patterns Collective x Plug In ICA virtual screening, September 13, 2020.
A Beautiful Struggle - Africa in Motion Film Festival, UK. 25 October - 3 November, 2019.
Kilon Shele Gan Gan - Africa in Motion Film Festival, UK. 25 October - 3 November, 2019.
You Can Hear The City - Art X Live, Lagos, Nigeria. 2 November, 2019.
A Beautiful Struggle - Cinewax Online African Film Festival, 15 November – 15 December, 2019.
Miu Miu Babes - Fashion Film Festival Milano, 8-11 November, 2019.
A Beautiful Struggle - Terra Kulture, Lagos, Nigeria. 18 July, 2019.
A Beautiful Struggle - hFACTOR, Lagos, Nigeria. 18th August - 1st September, 2019.
A Beautiful Struggle - Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven. 19-27 October, 2019.
Kilon Shele Gan Gan - Fashion Films Festival Milano, 2018.
July-Sept 2023: Gasworks London, UK
2013-2016: BA (Hons) Broadcast Journalism, Nottingham Trent University, UK.
2012-2013: Foundation Degree, Business Pathway, Gloucestershire College, UK
screenings, exhibitions & festivals
October Gallery, Emergent Energies. May 30, 2024 - June 29, 2024.
Who Is In The Garden - Thursday’s Child x Photo Book Cafe: You Is For Unity. March 14 - 17, 2024
Odafe - ART X Lagos. November 2 - 5, 2023.
Pour Me Water, Pure Water - Royal Museums Greenwich, Our Connection To Water. March 31, 2023 - Februray 2024.
A Beautiful Struggle - V&A Museum, Friday Late: African Fashions on Film. January 29, 2021.
A Beautiful Struggle - Yale African Film Festival, 2021.
A Beautiful Struggle - London Short Film Festival, Official Selection 2021.
A Beautiful Struggle - Patterns Collective x Plug In ICA virtual screening, September 13, 2020.
A Beautiful Struggle - Africa in Motion Film Festival, UK. 25 October - 3 November, 2019.
Kilon Shele Gan Gan - Africa in Motion Film Festival, UK. 25 October - 3 November, 2019.
You Can Hear The City - Art X Live, Lagos, Nigeria. 2 November, 2019.
A Beautiful Struggle - Cinewax Online African Film Festival, 15 November – 15 December, 2019.
Miu Miu Babes - Fashion Film Festival Milano, 8-11 November, 2019.
A Beautiful Struggle - Terra Kulture, Lagos, Nigeria. 18 July, 2019.
A Beautiful Struggle - hFACTOR, Lagos, Nigeria. 18th August - 1st September, 2019.
A Beautiful Struggle - Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven. 19-27 October, 2019.
Kilon Shele Gan Gan - Fashion Films Festival Milano, 2018.
SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHY WORK
