A Presentation and Walkthrough of Images by Nengi Nelson
On June 5th, 2025, G.A.S. Lagos hosted Residency Open Studio, a presentation and walkthrough of photography projects by independent photographer and visual storyteller Nengi Nelson, whose practice explores themes of identity, memory, and perception. Designed as an intimate and informal gathering, the Open Studio invited guests to engage with three distinct bodies of work developed over the course of her photographic journey. As guests arrived in small groups, Nengi personally guided them through each project, sharing insights into her process, the stories behind them, and inviting thoughtful dialogue. Motivated by a desire to connect with the local art community, the session provided space for reflection and meaningful exchange around her evolving practice.
The walkthrough began with All the Places I Have Lived, a project that explores the fluidity of home as experienced by individuals navigating reverse migration, transitioning from temporary dwellings to more permanent ones. Nengi reflects on what makes a space feel like home, the memorabilia people carry across these transitions, and how they define home for themselves. The presented images serve as both a documentation of these varied living spaces and an introspective look into the lives shaped within them.
Following this was Multiplicity: A Study on Play, which examines the relationship between performativity and freedom in public spaces. Drawing on Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Nengi considers how moments of play can dissolve the pressure to perform or impress. Captured in outdoor settings, the photographs are layered with visual “Easter eggs,” inviting viewers to slow down, observe closely, and interact playfully with the work.
The final project, Midnight Snack, shifts the focus indoors, following a young woman in quiet moments after a night out. Shot in low light and framed through a play of shadows and colour, the series captures gestures of decompression such as taking off heels, searching the fridge, eating alone. The work offers a poetic contrast to the public energy of nightlife, spotlighting vulnerability, stillness, and bodily ease.
Throughout the evening, guests were encouraged to respond, ask questions, and reflect on the layered connections between the works. Nengi’s thoughtful, process-led approach fostered a space of exchange and conversation, allowing for mutual learning between artist and the audience. By the end of the evening, visitors left not only with a deeper understanding of Nengi’s practice, but also with a renewed awareness of photography’s potential to hold memory, gesture, and quiet introspection.
Event Details
Date: 5th June, 2025
First Slot: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Second Slot: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: 9b, Hakeem Dickson Drive, off T.F. Kuboye Road, Oniru, Lagos
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Nengi Nelson is a Lagos-based freelance Photographer and visual storyteller. She explores identity, choice, vulnerability and social acceptance in her works. For her, identity serves as a means to introspect and question ‘’being’’ beyond social norms, especially in African spaces. She explores choice, how humans decide who they become and the factors that permit identity in individuals.
