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 in Lagos, Nigeria.
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 NL, Tommy Jeans, Miu Miu x Garage Magazine, Vlisco, MOWALOLA, Nike, WaterAid, Wepresent, Dazed Magazine, i-D Magazine, Guernica Magazine, Ottolinger, Maxivive, The Face Magazine, Native Sound System, Rolling Stone, Native Magazine, Abiola Olusola.
awards & honours
Independent Photographer Award – Open Call Winner, 2024.
Access ART X Prize – Nigeria Winner, 2022/2023.
Outstanding Alumni Award – Nottingham Trent University, 2022.
Grammy Awards – Best Music Film Nominee (Black Is King), 2021.
Dazed100 Nominee, 2020.
Future Awards Africa – Prize for Film Winner, 2020.
Fashion Film Festival Milano - Best New Fashion Film Nominee, Kilon Shele Gan Gan, 2018.
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, 2016.
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 in Lagos, Nigeria.
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 NL, Tommy Jeans, Miu Miu x Garage Magazine, Vlisco, MOWALOLA, Nike, WaterAid, Wepresent, Dazed Magazine, i-D Magazine, Guernica Magazine, Ottolinger, Maxivive, The Face Magazine, Native Sound System, Rolling Stone, Native Magazine, Abiola Olusola.
awards & honours
Independent Photographer Award – Open Call Winner, 2024.
Access ART X Prize – Nigeria Winner, 2022/2023.
Outstanding Alumni Award – Nottingham Trent University, 2022.
Grammy Awards – Best Music Film Nominee (Black Is King), 2021.
Dazed100 Nominee, 2020.
Future Awards Africa – Prize for Film Winner, 2020.
Fashion Film Festival Milano - Best New Fashion Film Nominee, Kilon Shele Gan Gan, 2018.
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, 2016.
education & recidencies
Gasworks, London, UK | Residency | July – September 2023.
The Concept Space, Accra, Ghana | Residency | January 2023
BA (Hons) Broadcast Journalism, Nottingham Trent University, UK | September 2013 – July 2016.
Foundation Degree, Business Pathway, Gloucestershire College, UK | September 2012 – July 2013.
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.
Gasworks, London, UK | Residency | July – September 2023.
The Concept Space, Accra, Ghana | Residency | January 2023
BA (Hons) Broadcast Journalism, Nottingham Trent University, UK | September 2013 – July 2016.
Foundation Degree, Business Pathway, Gloucestershire College, UK | September 2012 – July 2013.
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
