Philip’s Dream Factory

For lovers of African photography last month was a fulfilling one with this year’s edition of Paris Photo dedicated to the continent. The Grand Palais was filled with pictures from well known African photographers like Pieter Hugo, Malick Sidibé  and Seydou Kaïta. The one African photographer that I would like to have seen more of was the Ghanaian Philip Kwame Apagya. He has an interesting and contemporary take on the traditional West African portraiture. Next to the stylish and classic black and white portraits of Sibide and Kaita, Philip almost reminds me of an African version of Terry Richardson with his use of bright colours and heavy flash. 

Philip was born in Ghana in 1958 and graduated in photojournalism at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. He worked in his father’s photo studio and later opened his own studio in 1982.  Since then hundreds of Africans have had their picture taken against one of his large, painted tableaux. His subjects pose in front of brightly painted scenes dotted with expensive electronics, international flights and faux careers (just to name a few). The Room Divider is his most popular background, it’s a living room filled with desirable products. Every year Philip brings out a new one incorporating the latest technical equipment.

These pictures are more than just eye candy, there is a sociological aspect to them as well. In Africa, a photo studio is a place where your dreams can come true for a moment, being portrayed is a way to achieve immortality. Philip portrayed these people with the things they desire the most in life. The photographs represent how these people would like to see themselves and looking at them in that way these colourful portraits may also be regarded as being representative for a certain era in the Ghanaian society. The images also emphasise how the unavailability of commodities merely heightens their appeal. 

Philip’s photographs started some serious discussions in the Western world about what they tell us about the consumerism and materialism of the modern African people. In the end I don’t think Philip’s work is too politically driven, what he wants to do is give these people their dreams. Just for a minute, but for eternality on the picture. In a way he created a dream factory in a country where the common prospects are very limited. 

More information about the artist.

See a short clip of the documentary Future Remembrance, where Philip is being filmed in his studio. With a big ol’ smile.