International Albinism Awareness Day: Aderopo Afolabi on Using Photography to Reframe the Narrative Around Albinism

Aderopo Afolabi, a Nigerian photographer and visual artist, has launched a portrait project spotlighting women living with albinism as part of International Albinism Awareness Day. The project, created in collaboration with Mistyglamcompany, Nigeria's first albinism advocacy initiative, centers on collaborative storytelling, aiming to portray the women as individuals with agency, dignity and complex identities. Afolabi emphasized that his creative process is rooted in research, dialogue and trust, with extensive conversations held before any photographs are taken to ensure the subjects are active participants in how they are represented. Fashion plays a central role in the portraits, serving as a medium of self-expression and cultural identity. The images are intended as visual narratives shaped jointly by Afolabi and the women, countering dominant stereotypes that often reduce people with albinism to medical or charitable tropes. Afolabi stated that representation matters, particularly for women with albinism who remain underrepresented in fashion, media and photography. He previously worked on the Hijab Women Project, which advocated for diversity in fashion, and sees this new body of work as an extension of that mission. The project seeks to expand visibility and challenge narrow perceptions by centering beauty, belonging and individuality. Mistyglamcompany leads the implementation of the advocacy initiative.

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