Bukunmi Oyewole

Ocean Surge Aftermath

Artist's Statement

This was the aftermath of an ocean surge which occured at Ayetoro community, in Ilaje Local Government area of Ondo State, Nigeria on 14th November, 2020. The water incursion destroyed a lot of properties and rendered many people homeless, and the residents became even scared that they might get wiped out by the sea in the following days. Ocean surge is a rise in water level caused by the wind of a storm pushing water on shore. The ocean surge is both a natural phenomenon and a result of human activities.
The coastal areas in the Niger Delta region are at great risk of extreme weather events and impacts of climate change, and these are made worse by increased human-induced pressures on the areas; such as oil spillages and gas flaring.
Environmental insecurity and poverty will continue to be the order of the day if shoreline protection structures—which will reduce or eliminate coastal erosion—are not put in place by the government.

Artist's Bio

Bukunmi Oyewole is a travel and documentary photographer who loves to see the world through the lens of his camera. He has traveled round Nigeria, visiting over 19 states on photo tours and documentaries. One of his many dreams is to travel round the world, capturing astonishing moments with his camera.

His passion for photography and striking pictorial skills earned him a feature on six editions of Blueprint Magazine, two editions of The Agbowo Magazine, Ake Review, Foxhole Magazine, Penumbra, Turnpike magazine, and a host of others.

His works are currently being exhibited on GT Bank's Virtual Gallery, his works were featured at a photography exhibition during the 2018 Nigeria Photography Expo and Conference {NiPHEC}, also at the Global Customer Segmentation Framework Art Exhibition 2018, at Photocarrefour Photography Exhibition 2019 and 2020, at Africa Next Exhibition 2020, Arts 'n' Chill Exhibition 2021, and then Tantdile Xperimenta Lab Exhibition 2021. He was a member of the jury for the Wikipedia Photo Competition tagged "Wiki Loves Africa 2021."
He is also a member of the African Photojournalism Database (APJD), a project of the World Press Photo Foundation and Everyday Africa. He is a 2021 creative fellow at Amplify HQ, a COVID HQ Africa project.

Bukunmi is a lover of books and anything travels. One of his many dreams is to travel round the world, capturing astonishing moments with his camera.