Standing out in Sweden: Photographer Lola Akinmade

DW (English)

Photographer and author Lola Akinmade lives in Sweden. Despite her success, does she experience racism or discrimination because she comes from Nigeria?

Transcript

00:00She grew up in Nigeria, studied in the U.S., and now lives in Sweden.

00:05Lola Akinmade is one of the most successful female photographers in Europe

00:10in an industry that is dominated by white men.

00:13She specializes in travel photography.

00:16How did she achieve this?

00:18When I was starting out, there weren't a lot of travel photographers

00:22that were Nigerian, black, African women.

00:24So, it was having to prove myself to show that I have my own eye.

00:31Her unique perspective is what has made Lola successful.

00:35It's also made her an international best-selling author.

00:38It seems that for her, anything is possible.

00:41In Sweden, I can live a quiet, happy life by a lake,

00:45somewhere eating canabula every day.

00:47But the minute I want to be the CEO of IKEA, or Ericsson,

00:51then we have a problem.

00:52Sexism, migration, racism, her books also deal with these topics,

00:58issues that she's faced with regularly, even in progressive Sweden.

01:03As a travel photographer, Lola has visited more than 70 countries.

01:08Her photos can be found in renowned publications

01:10like The New York Times, The Guardian, and Vogue.

01:13When she began her career, many believed that she wouldn't be that successful

01:17simply because of her background.

01:19But that is something Lola sees as one of her strengths.

01:22What you may bring back as a white man can be very different

01:31than what I bring back as a black woman from the same place.

01:36You know, my travel photography, I've got a unique visual style.

01:40I love rich colors and a lot of contrast.

01:43And that comes from my background, you know, in growing up in Nigeria

01:48with a lot of rich colors and contrast as well.

01:52Travel photography is Lola's trade, but her Afro-Swede project is a matter close to her heart.

01:58Her aim with this series is to show what integration means to her.

02:02She plans to take hundreds or even thousands of portraits of Swedish residents with African roots

02:08who, like Lola, have had to fight for their place in a society that is predominantly white.

02:14Visually, she plays with the Swedish national colors blue and yellow.

02:18The Afro-Swede project is one that's dear to my heart.

02:24You know, it talks about what it means to celebrate all your identities.

02:29It's a project about integration versus assimilation

02:33because assimilation says you have to be one or the other

02:37or you have to be more of one and less of the other.

02:41Well, integration says, no, I can be proudly booked.

02:43Lola isn't only a successful photographer, she's also an internationally renowned author.

02:50Her books have been translated into 18 languages.

02:55In novels such as Everything is Not Enough,

02:57she tells stories of black women and their problems in Swedish society.

03:03One of the things that a lot of immigrants or new citizens or new residents battle with

03:09is this feeling of having to stay grateful forever.

03:12And what that means is society sees you as not having anything of value to give.

03:18Just stay grateful to me for letting you in.

03:22In one of her early books, Lagom, The Swedish Secret of Living Well,

03:27Lola is a kind of psychoanalyst of Swedish society.

03:31In Sweden, lagom means healthy moderation.

03:35One thing I realized about Lagom is that it's actually the Swedish way of handling stress, right?

03:43So things that bring unnecessary stress into your life, you try to remove it.

03:48Lola has been living in Sweden since 2010, but no matter where she is,

03:52there's one thing that she's always been able to rely on.

03:55My full name is Onara Lola Olua.

03:58It's a Yoruba name, and it means God's ways are wonderful.

04:01God moves the mysterious ways.

04:03And once I found out the meaning of that name, I just, you know,

04:08it guides the way I move through life, knowing that there's something bigger than me.

04:12Whether with words or pictures, the stories Lola Akinmadee tells offer new perspectives and new insights.

Category

Transcript

Recommended