Yagazie Emezi facts for kids

Yagazie Emezi (born March 2, 1989) is a talented Nigerian artist. She is a photojournalist, which means she tells stories with her photographs. Yagazie taught herself photography and lives in Lagos, Nigeria.

Early Life

Yagazie Emezi was born on March 2, 1989. She grew up in Aba, Nigeria. Her family is from Old Umuahia in Abia State. Yagazie is the youngest of three children. Her older sibling is Akwaeke Emezi.

Photography Career

Yagazie Emezi started taking photos in 2015. Since then, many big news groups have hired her. These include The Washington Post, National Geographic, and The New York Times. She has also worked for Vogue and TIME.

In 2017, Yagazie lived in Monrovia, Liberia. She spent ten months there. She took pictures to show how education helps girls in tough areas. She also worked on a project called Re-learning Bodies. This project looks at how people who have been through hard times learn to live with their bodies. It also shows that there isn't much talk about body positivity in her culture.

Awards and Recognition

Yagazie has received many important awards. In 2018, she won the first Creative Bursary Award from Getty Images. She also took part in the New York Portfolio Review. Her work has been shown in British Journal of Photography and Huffington Post.

In 2018, she received a grant from the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos. This grant helped her create a photo series. The series showed the truth about violence against women and young people in Lagos.

In 2019, Yagazie made history. She became the first Black African woman to photograph for National Geographic Magazine. She also received a grant from National Geographic. That same year, she was chosen for an art residency. This was at Black Rock, Senegal, started by artist Kehinde Wiley.

Yagazie's art projects often talk about Nigeria's social and political issues. She uses the country's history and current events in her work. She also looks at how the media plays a role in these issues.

Yagazie was nominated for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative in 2019. She also helps guide Everyday Africa and is a member of their team.

During the End SARS protests in Nigeria, Yagazie was there. She took photos to document what was happening in Lagos.

Public Speaking

Yagazie Emezi has given many talks. She shares her knowledge about photography and art.

• 2019: She spoke about how environmental changes affect women's health. This was at the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda.
• 2019: She talked about how art can improve health. This was at the Hamwe Festival in Rwanda.
• 2019: She discussed understanding and healing the body in Africa. This talk was at the University of Kansas in the USA.
• 2018: She spoke at the Lagos Photo Festival about women in photography.
• 2018: She gave a guest lecture at Parsons School of Design in New York.
• 2017: She talked about creating art in the digital age in Nairobi, Kenya.
• 2016: She spoke about telling stories through photography at Social Media Week in Lagos.
• 2015: She discussed exploring photography outside of street scenes at Rele Art Gallery in Lagos.
• 2015: She spoke about connecting with customers at Mobile West Africa in Lagos.

Awards and Grants

• National Geographic Grantee in 2020.
• Recipient of the first Creative Bursary Award from Getty Images in 2018.
• Grant from The United States Consulate General Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018.
• Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of New Mexico, African Studies Department, in 2017.

Exhibitions

Yagazie Emezi's photographs have been shown in many art shows.

• African Biennale of Photography, Bamako, Mali. 2019.
• The Female Lens, Richard Taittinger Gallery, New York, USA. 2019.
• Relearning Bodies, Hamwe Festival, Kigali, Rwanda. 2019.
• HERE, Alliance Francais, Lagos, Nigeria. 2019.
• Present and Forgotten, Vlisco&Co, Art Twenty One. Lagos, Nigeria. 2018.
• Festival Pil’ours, Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, France. 2018.
• Insider/Outsider, Women Photograph, Photoville. New York, USA. 2017.
• Body Talk, Refinery29, Photoville. New York, USA. 2017.
• Re-picturing a Continent, Alliance Francais, Everyday Africa. Nairobi, Kenya. 2017.
• LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph, Charlottesville, USA. 2016.
• The Everyday Projects at FotoIstanbul, Istanbul, Turkey. 2016.