By Chimezie Chika

Many times, we experience the beauty of life when we witness beings live as intended, living with no spectacle or narrative placed on them. This level of stillness can create a mirror into the lives of humans, showing that true freedom comes without the burden of performance. The Monochrome Margin, Olatoke Olufade’s photo series, serves as a medium through which this realization is reached. Rendered in black and white, it presents nature in its purest form and essence, offering a visual of the truth of life not tainted by embellishments.

Olufade’s interpretation of the world has led her to explore different muses for her work. In the past she has focused on femininity and its expressions. With this series, her gaze is on nature’s manifestations on planet Earth, toward the untamed and unfiltered rhythms of life in the wild. Her focus is not on the high-octane parts of nature or the dramatic sweep of landscapes. Here, the quieter intervals within nature’s wildness serve as the object of her inspiration.

In one photo, she captures a dark-feathered bird that steps lightly across a stream, its reflection shimmering beneath like a duplicate existing on the other side of another reality. In another, a statuesque black cow makes its way down a worn path sporting a bell around its neck. Her camera also notices a herd of cattle, some sunk belly-deep in water with others calmly wading and creating outward ripples. The unscripted nature of the photos reflects Olufade’s thought process to document nature in its unedited form.

With each image in The Monochrome Margin, you can feel that Olufade has no interest in the fabricated version of life, which is consistent across her other pieces of work. Instead, the theme of harmonious existence is present across the photo series. These photos depict universal concepts that exist across different species: the herd of cattle highlighting the importance of a communal bond, while the cow stands as a symbol of individual strength

The choice of monochrome is no accident. Stripping away color directs attention to the form of the subjects and the interaction between them. We notice the little but significant details; the water’s ripple patterns, majestic bird poses, and the interaction of the light in the photos are just a few elements that elevate the photo without any ceremonious tweaks to the photo. Olufade does not alter what is already whole.

One of her greatest gifts is reflection. In showing animals at ease in their flow, she reminds us of instincts we’ve distanced ourselves from. Our natural inclinations have been drowned out by the human condition, and these photos can, in a way, bring us back to ourselves. 

The title says much. The Monochrome Margin sits on the edge of perception, where the world reminds us it doesn’t need us to continue. Human beings are only a part of the whole, not the center of it. That realization can bring about a humbling experience, but it can also soothe. With her lens, Olufade captures the consciousness of life. Frame by frame, she reminds us the earth’s sacredness is something that already exists.