2nd EDITION 2021-2022
The winners of the second edition of the Daniele Tamagni Grant are Meseret Argaw (Ethiopia) and Fawaz Oyedeji (Nigeria). For the first time, the prize has been allocated to two mertiful photographers instead of one.
MESERET ARGAW
Meseret Argaw is an Ethiopian Documentary and Conceptual photographer. Since 2015 she has started to create various projects focusing on identity, culture, religion, migration, and environmental issues. Throughout her career, she participated in various workshops including the Canon Student Development Programme, New York Times portfolio review, Addis Foto Fest (AFF) international workshop and UNESCO journalism workshop. She has exhibited her works in Africa, Europe, and United States of America in various group exhibitions such as Reframing Neglect at Cromwell Place in London and at The Africa Centre in New York, and in the “Africa collection” at Africa Foto fair at Musée des Cultures Contemporaines Adama TOUNGARA (MuCAT) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
WINNING WITH:
ERKE
The artist states: “Until I embarked on this journey, I didn’t know how much I was affected by it. How deep I have swum under it and surrendered without a fight. I voluntarily let the memory consume me through the years. But I finally found the courage to face it; with the intention I might close the door it left opened for the unknown. I was abducted twice when I was four years old. Each time I was found by people who either knew me or my family. I understood the endless possibilities if the unknown had had become my reality. But I also needed to face my current self and figure how it relates to the women I wanted to portray.
I started this project to make peace with a memory that keeps reminding itself to me without any warning when I am usually at my lowest. I would not have had the courage to face it if photography had not been available. Even though I began the project believing that I was fighting my own battle, I soon realized that through my story, I was also telling the story of women who walk the path I could have taken every day.”
FAWAZ OYEDEJI
Fawaz Oyedeji is a photojournalist and historian based in Lagos, Nigeria. His work centers on capturing the intricacies of political consciousness within African social groups. He is driven by a strong commitment to documenting daily life, including the seemingly ordinary, as a means of fostering a deeper awareness of our present moment and providing a valuable historical record for future generations. He holds a Diploma in Mass Communication from Yaba College of Technology and a B.A.E. degree in History Education from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He also completed a Photojournalism and Documentary course at the Market Photo Workshop in South Africa.
WINNING WITH:
YOURS IN ARMS
‘Yours In Arms’ highlights how surrounding circumstances have shaped the day-to-day struggles and resilience of students preserving the history of a civilian-run infantry in Nigeria.