Stephen Tayo

Stephen Tayo is a Nigerian photographer who has been commissioned by several international editions of Vogue as well as Dazed, Interview and the New York Times among other publications. His work has been featured in institutions such as London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Lagos’s Arthouse Foundation, and Amsterdam’s Framer Framed. In 2018, he co-directed Skepta’s and WizKid’s music video for ‘Energy.’ Through these and other projects like a collaboration with Nike, he has lensed a new wave of emerging musicians from Nigeria and the global diaspora, explored the commodification of contemporary street culture and collaborated on collage portraits with drag artists in the country, where LGBTQ+ rights are not recognised.

Tayo graduated from the University of Lagos with a degree in philosophy before venturing into photography. Inspired in part by West African studio portraiture of the 1950s and 60s including legendary names like Seydou Keïta and Malick Sidibé, his work uses personal style as a conduit for explorations of heritage, culture and self-expression in socially disadvantaged communities. From family celebrations to street festivals, he finds beauty in both niche subcultures and the commonplace while granting his sitters autonomy to perform and pose as they feel comfortable — a process that instils his work with an intimacy and authenticity.