The world of Temilade Adelaja’s thematised literature-built on the tripod of poetry, photography and travel writing-seems like an easy sail. A first hint at this is embodied in the preface that prepares the reader’s mind for what to expect in this eclectic collection titled Behind the Viewfinder: Stories and Poems of Vision and Capture. Quite possibly too, another reader might have caught up with the idea from the synopsis at the back of the book.
From a critic’s perspective, the aesthetic of this book transcends the visual to the philosophical. The poet-photographer interests her readers with her incredible creative power to zoom in on objects and subjects simultaneously using her lens and lines with near-surgical precision.
Enchewing the risk of misinterpretation, her travel writing is juxtaposed with her poetry to give meaning to her photographic pieces. No doubt, this poet is nimble on her feet and wit; showing a deep understanding of the world of the subjects she presents and the stories or memories they preserve.
Her emotional intelligence pierces through titles such as “Siesta in Makoko” “Silent Sentinels” as well as “Melodies of Memories.” Her thoughts are in harmony with what’s plausible, provoking empathy and emotional recall in her readers.
Book Cover
Adelaja’s journey is steadily paced through her easy-read writing and eclectic storytelling techniques, allowing the reader to reason and reflect. Rooted in Nigeria, the writer’s quiet argument is non-political yet indubitably human.
Her compelling narratives are drawn from close-up observation of everyday stereotypes to project the voices of the underserved wherever they exist: on rafts, in the markets, in violent communities and well, in the grave- buried by lingering years of systemic failure and bold-faced national denial.
In yet another piece titled “Political Procession,” she rehashes the memory of a monumental moment in Nigeria’s recent history where police brutality was fought with the collective will of the youths. This piece showing a placard of protest however is not as immersive as “Dance Through The Lens” which situates her lens in the heat of bare-footed dancers, capturing the dusty air around the organically made performance arena in a low-income neighborhood.
Temilade Adelaja
Using relatable characters and historical allusion, Adelaja sees the metaphysical side of the dance even though surrounded by some mesmerized audience. Citing Sango, her knowledge of deified ancestors in Yoruba history has served as a filter to her narrative of the dance captured on camera.
Adelaja proved her courage with the portrait of a clandestine group of local vigilantes with the photograph “Nigerian Batman.” Quite frankly, their identities are often hidden and protected but their resolve to rescue residents in distress are boldly written on their faces. This image is a visual testament to the self-help approach to protecting lives adopted by many in several parts of Nigeria. Without over-flogging the issue of national security, the poet-photographer through this image documents this episode of the lives of Nigerians who seek protection in the ‘black market’ of criminal justice. Set in Kwara, a state with a record of rising insecurity, the story echoes in other parts of Africa and across the globe.
Aside from being a literary mosaic made of poetry and photography while tapping from the context of social reality, the work-laden with travel writing-is a kaleidoscope of themes of survival, resilience and the human spirit. The lack of attempt to manipulate the optics is an indication of the writer’s unquestionable fidelity to a truthful representation of her experience. Igniting curiosity, the pictures hold untold and underrated stories of cultural phenomenons in different parts of Nigeria in every shot.
