Abraham Oghobase

Anatomy of Landscape - Jos 16

Anatomy of Landscape by Abraham Onoriode Oghobase is a series of photographs inspired by the artist’s travels to Jos, Nigeria. Having grown up in the urban environment of Lagos, Oghobase was struck by the tin-mining deposits and the man-made ponds and lakes that form a dominant part of the landscape in the city of Jos and its surroundings. While visually striking, the landscape also holds a complex history, excavated by the artist, who researched the prevalent mining of tin deposits that dates back to 1904 during the British colonial mineral exploration in the Northern Protectorate. The images in this series show the railway tracks, machinery, and remains of installations of an industry that was responsible for the transformation of the territory. The railways built in Jos, as in other parts of Africa, did not facilitate the mobility of local populations. They essentially made it possible to transport minerals and export them to Europe. The wallpaper provides a backdrop landscape onto which other vistas are superimposed and overlap. Like the memories and feelings aroused by an experience, the photographs offer a plural representation of the history of this place.