Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko

Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko
Born1978 (age 47–48)
Enugu, Nigeria
EducationMacromedia School of Art and Design, Osnabrück
OccupationPhotographer
Years active2005–present
Organization(s)Camara Studios, Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko (YAB)
Known forPhotography
Websiteyetundeayenibabaeko.com

Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko (born 1978) is a Nigerian photographer.[1]

Early life and background

Ayeni-Babaeko was born in Enugu, Eastern Region, Nigeria in 1978.[2] Her father was Nigerian and her mother was German. She moved to Germany as a child, attending secondary school there and completing a photography apprenticeship at Studio Be in Greven. In 2005 she returned to Nigeria. In 2007 she opened her own studio, Camara Studios,[1] based in Ikeja.[3]

Personal life

Ayeni-Babaeko is married to Steve Babaeko.[4][5] They got married in 2006 after their proposal in Germany, where Ayeni-Babaeko grew up. They now have three boys: Louis, Lamar, and Austin.[6]

Exhibitions and projects

Ayeni-Babaeko's 2014 exhibition 'Eko Moves', in collaboration with the Society for Performing Arts of Nigeria (SPAN), portrayed dancers in public spaces in Lagos.[7][8] The project placed choreographed dancers in everyday urban environments across the city, exploring the contrast between staged movement and ordinary public space. The work was developed as part of Ayeni-Babaeko's broader collaboration with the dance company SPAN.[1]

Her 2019 exhibition 'White Ebony' highlighted the situation of people with albinism in Nigeria.[9] The exhibition was shown at Temple Muse in Lagos, presented by SMO Contemporary Art, and was timed to coincide with International Albinism Awareness Day. It consisted of twenty photographs developed through Ayeni-Babaeko's collaboration with The Albino Foundation Lagos.[10] Ayeni-Babaeko conducted extended interviews with members of the foundation prior to the shoot, describing the resulting body of work as the product of long conversations about her subjects' daily experiences and social perceptions of albinism.[11] The exhibition was described by Temple Muse's CEO Avinash Wadhwani as an example of art for social change.[10]

Workshops and mentorship

Ayeni-Babaeko has facilitated photography workshops and training sessions, including programmes organised in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut, focusing on photography practice and professional development. Participants have included emerging photographers from Nigeria.[12]

Recent activities

In 2025, Ayeni-Babaeko participated in photography projects including the Starke Frauen. Starkes Handwerk competition hosted by the Handwerkskammer Dortmund, featuring photo stories on women in craft and visual storytelling.[13]

She also documented cultural events such as the Abo Egungun Festival in Kogi State as part of her ongoing photography work.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Maria Diamond, Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko, The Guardian, 23 February 2019. Accessed 15 May 2020.
  2. ↑ Nigeria, Guardian (23 February 2019). "Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  3. ↑ Elizabeth Ayoola, Meet the Boss: Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko, Camera Studios Archived 12 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Connect Nigeria, 21 January 2015. Accessed 15 May 2020.
  4. ↑ omotolani (1 June 2017). "Steve Babaeko is a year older today". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  5. ↑ "Babaeko Makes Bold Entry into Farming". This Day. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  6. ↑ Babaeko, Steve (23 September 2020). "Steve Babaeko: How One Of Africa's Biggest Advertising Executives Is Charting A New Path In Nigeria'". Steve Babaeko. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  7. ↑ Connect Nigeria in Conversation with Yetunde Ayeni Babaeko on 'Eko Moves', Connect Nigeria, 8 December 2014. Accessed 15 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko Exhibitions". Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  9. ↑ Photographer Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko spotlights Albinism with 'White Ebony', Premium Times, 23 May 2019. Accessed 15 May 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Nigerian photographer Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko raises awareness of albinism with her latest exhibition, titled "White Ebony"". This Is Africa. 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko's White Ebony Raises Awareness of Albinism". Nigeria CommunicationsWeek. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "White Ebony press release" (PDF). Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  13. ↑ "Starke Frauen.Starkes Handwerk". Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "Abo Egungun Festival". Retrieved 15 December 2025.
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