The connection was instant when Delali Ayivi and Malaika Nabillahtou first met at a restaurant in Togo. Ayivi, a Togolese in the diaspora, and Nabillahtou, who has lived in Togo all her life, quickly realized through their conversation and exchange of creative ideas, that they shared something in common beyond their Togolese heritage; they wanted to put Togo on the creative map. "When it comes to West Africa, people talk about Nigeria, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast, nobody knows Togo," Nabillahtou tells OkayAfrica.
"Since we met,we knew we needed to build something for our country. That's why we created this community." The community in question is Togo Yeye (meaning New Togo in Ewe, the widely spoken local language in Togo). Togo Yeye, co-founded and run by Ayivi, a photographer, and Nabillahtou, a creative director, has set itself apart for the striking and perception-shifting imagery it has created in and about Togo. Their works explore various themes and always bring together local talents from models to photo assistants. Togo Yeye lends itself as a creative institution that creates a compelling narrative of what it means to be young and Togolese today while also creating a blueprint for other aspiring Togolese artists to follow.
The collective has exhibited at Photo Vogue Festivals, shot editorials for Nataal Magazine, and recently collaborated with Vlisco on its latest campaign, "Blossoming Beauty," launched last Tuesday, January 14. It is a visual collection highlighting Togo's natural resources and Vlisco's connection with Togolese culture.
Photo courtesy of Togo Yeye.
Togo Yeye shares something in common beyond their Togolese heritage; they want to put Togo on the creative map.
For Togo Yeye, this Vlisco project represents one of those rare moments when their work is exhibited in the place where it was created and can be seen by the people it aims to represent. "Because we lack industrial support and platforms within Togo, we get to exhibit a lot outside of the continent or maybe within the continent as well, but not in Togo," Ayivi says. "People rarely get to see themselves in Togo in the work that we do because we don't have the platforms for it, so one motivating factor was that we got to shoot a campaign that would be seen on the African continent but specifically in Togo, and Visco has huge billboards in Togo." Since the campaign's release, the duo say they've been getting pictures from people who pass by the billboards featuring bold prints and stunning natural backdrops.
Creating for the future
In their visual language, Togo Yeye is consistent and particular about veering away from the Western gaze and instead creating work that speaks towards a future where West African image-making isn't imitative yet immediately identifiable. "When we looked at how people expressed themselves creatively, we realized a lot of the studio photography was trying to be something they're not," Ayivi says. "So, we began using everything that's around us. The colorful walls, gates, our town, beaches, water, mountains, etc. We don't have to try to be something we're not."
Thecreative community in Togois still siloed around traditional forms of creativity, primarily music. Unlike neighboring countries Ghana and Benin, or further Nigeria, Nabillahtou and Ayivi say the creative scene can sometimes feel small or centered around already well-known faces. Through workshops, hiring local talent of all ages and backgrounds to be behind and in front of the creative process, setting up residencies, and offering advice to emerging artists and collectives, Togo Yeye is particular about creating a legacy where opportunities, specifically for creative people in Togo and West Africa, are democratized and easier to access.Photo courtesy of Togo Yeye.
Togo Yeye often creates works that interact with nature and the mundane details of everyday Togolese life.
Before meeting Ayivi, Nabillahtou was in medical school, a safe choice she had chosen even though she had been creating video projects for people and creative directing for as long as she could remember. "Being in this collaboration with Delali really opened my eyes to opportunities. I remember her telling me I can do whatever I want," Nabillahtou says. "This collaboration gave me the wings to have an option of a career in [the creative] industry. Now, it's not just me; many others are working with us and discovering new ways, even if not with Togo Yeye, because they have other options to work in the industry." Ayivi says the feeling is mutual.
Togo Yeye has been around for nearly five years and has developed a creative community that's mostly figuring it out as they go. "Against all the difficulties and struggles that come with this process, we see a youth that's trying against all odds," Ayivi says. "I think that's our scene at the moment. It's a whole bunch of people doing their best."
As Nabillahtou sees it, "If we can have 10 Togo Yeye in every West African country, just give two years, and things will change." Adding, "Because we are young, we love our country, so we try to find a way to put our effort together to create something where everybody is equal, where everybody is well treated, and everybody can do what he wants."
And on Ayivi's part, "I think we can use our visual language to instill pride, but at the same time show in our visuals and our thinking that nothing is stopping us from being great or greater."
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