For her 96th birthday, we made a set of heritage portraits of Chief (Mrs.) Grace Owoola Oyin-Adejobi, the actress Nigerians know and love as Iya Osogbo.
Heritage portraits in Nigeria should do more than record a face. They should honour a life. When we set out to photograph Chief (Mrs.) Grace Owoola Oyin-Adejobi for her 96th birthday, that was our only aim. To many of us she is our beloved screen mother, and to generations of Nigerians she is Iya Osogbo.
Who is Iya Osogbo?
Mama Grace was born in Osogbo in 1930. She is one of the enduring faces of the golden age of Yoruba travelling theatre, and a living link to the generation that laid the foundation for modern Nigerian theatre and film.
She was married to the late theatre pioneer, dramatist and actor Pa Oyin Adejobi, and the two shared a marriage and a remarkable journey in the growth of Yoruba theatre. In 1953 she joined the Oyin Adejobi Theatre Company and eventually left her work as a tailor to give herself fully to the stage. Her first major stage appearance was as Eve in Paradise Lost. She went on to appear in more than 450 stage productions, as well as television and film, including Kootu Asipa (Ashipa's Court), Orogun Adedigba, Kuye, Ekuro-Oloja and Iya Olobi.
The name Iya Osogbo became so tied to her identity that many people now know it better than her birth name. She was also part of a theatre tradition that trained and influenced performers who later became major names in Nigerian entertainment.
Making the portraits
We wanted the images to feel like a painting you could sit in front of for a long time. Mama Grace wears a bright pink dress, a sculpted green gele and layers of coral-coloured beads, set against a deep olive backdrop. She sits barefoot on a simple wooden folding chair, with dark red leaves and a small black goat at her feet.
In the wider frames she looks directly at the camera, calm and entirely herself. In another she looks down with a soft smile. In the close portrait, her hands rest beneath her chin as she gazes away, as if remembering something. Those quieter moments are the ones we treasure most. A detail shot of the goat, resting beside the chair and the pink fabric, completes the story.
Planning a heritage portrait session in Ibadan
If you would like a portrait like this for a parent, grandparent or elder in your family, a few simple things help.
First, talk about the person's story before the day. Their work, their family and the things they are proud of will guide the clothing, colours and setting. Second, bring pieces that mean something to them, whether that is beads, jewellery or a favourite gele. Colour and texture photograph beautifully when they are chosen with care.
Third, allow plenty of time and keep the pace gentle. Elders should be comfortable, seated and free to rest, and the best expressions usually come once everyone has relaxed. Finally, tell us what you hope the portraits will do, whether that is a family keepsake, a tribute or a celebration, so we can plan the session around it.
If you are looking for a portrait photographer in Ibadan who treats a family's history with patience and respect, we would be glad to hear from you. Happy birthday, Iya Osogbo, and thank you for letting us be part of this moment.
