biography
Dafe Oboro (b. 1994) is a visual 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
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 a visual 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
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
