Daniel Obasi

Daniel Obasi is the filmmaker, stylist, art director and photographer behind Daniel Obasi Studios, and the founder of Lagos-based members club Amah. His work employs Afrofuturist themes to challenge attitudes towards marginalised communities.  Obasi’s 2017 breakout short film “Illegal” explored LGBTQ Nigerian identity against the backdrop of a country where being gay is criminalised. His 2019 experimental short film about Igbo culture, “Udara,” earned him the award for Best New Director at Fashion Film Festival Milano, while his 2022 photography book, “Beautiful Resistance,” was published by Louis Vuitton as part of the luxury house’s Fashion Eye series.

Obasi has collaborated closely with singer Tiwa Savage, having styled her for several music videos and a Mac Cosmetics campaign. He has directed visuals for the band Coldplay, styled Beyoncé for her 2020 visual album “Black Is King” and the cover of Dazed, and photographed Burna Boy for Rolling Stone UK. Obasi, who is largely self-taught, continues to expand African social narratives surrounding gender roles and notions of masculinity, and reshape global perceptions of African culture and creativity. Born in Abia State and raised in Lagos, Obasi went on to study French at the University of Lagos before working as a graphic designer and later as a stylist at Nigerian designer brands.