By Japhet Alakam
After his last successful solo exhibition in Lagos tagged The Mask, multi talented Nigerian born photographer, Lakin Ogunbanwo is set to thrill Nigerian art lovers in another conceptual photography exhibition  tagged The Muse.
The Muse which will be the artists second exhibition in Nigeria captures the lifestyle of fashion and beauty pageants which many do not see.
Featuring about 35 images, the exhibition which is termed special will afford Lagosians an opportunity to view the works in two venues as it will be presented in two parts: The first part will be on view from December 5 to December 9, 2013, at Didi Museum; while the second part will take place from December 19, 2013 to February 19, 2014 at The Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi.

The exhibition is inspired by Lakin’s yearning to use photography as a medium to foster discussion on the subject of our sexuality, creed, or gender, ‘Muse’ explores notions of visualisation and impressions, using three ‘muses’ to create the extraordinary body of work.
Speaking about the works, the artist who confessed that his works were influenced by himself and realities said that the beautifully curated collection of portraits gives viewers an insight into his mind and his visual interpretations of his subjects; A juxtaposition between highly stylised imagery and a subtle raw, moody imagery. “The exhibition is about capturing beauty, or one’s idea of it.”
Lakin plays with the perceptions of glamour associated with models by capturing moments that give viewers a glimpse into their real lives.
Through his distinctive vision as reflected in some of the works, Lakin asks his audience to immerse themselves in the idea of possibility within the notions of beauty and identity; holding your attention with visuals that draws you into the subjects for how they look, and sometimes for who they may possibly be.
For the self taught photographer, who first began practicing his art while studying at Law school in the UK before he made his way to Paris where he fine-tuned his talent at the Speos Photography Institute, the exhibition is about the works he has gathered over the years in the fashion industry where he captured extraordinary beauty in his own provocative fashion.

Described as a versatile artist with an eye for colour, Lakin goes against the status quo with remarkable confidence, challenging the conservative culture of his country with his thought provoking imagery that can be described as vivid and sometimes suggestive.
According to the artist, whose meticulous approach allows him to create the visually stunning imagery that earned him a top spot on CNN’s profile of Africa’s Most Exciting New Photographers,  “I must make sure that apart from the beauty of the images, there is always a visual interpretation to them.”