From silent logs, my hands reveal,
Stories the forest tried to conceal.
Chisel and saw, rhythm and song,
I carve where roots and dreams belong.
Each curve, a memory, each line, a prayer,
Crafting eternity from timber’s care.
Grandma Photo and Lady Tee Photo are women of strength, carved in wood to honor their stories. Both love photography.One keeps her camera close, the other treasures her film roll, but life has pushed them to the market, selling peppers to survive.Their carvings remind us that passion does not die, even when struggle is heavy. Between baskets of peppers and simple wooden stalls, they still carry the quiet dream of capturing moments. Their story is one of resilience: women who balance art and survival, holding onto hope with both hands.
These women can be found in Lokoja Old Market.
Grandma Photo
Lady Tee Photo
“When Grandma Spoke of the Oba”
I remember sitting by the fire,
small feet tucked under me,
as Grandma’s voice rose and fell
like a drum calling home.
She told me of the Oba,
the king who was more than a man,
whose crown was heavy with stories,
whose eyes could see
both yesterday and tomorrow.
In her voice,
the palace walls grew tall around me,
bronze heads glowed like living faces,
and the red earth of Benin
beat beneath my chest.
I was only a child,
but I carried her words like treasure.
The Oba was not just a king—
he was a father of a people,
a spirit carved deep into the wood of time.
Now, when I see his face in art,
strong, proud, unyielding,
I hear Grandma again.
And I am that little child once more,
eyes wide, heart full,
learning that to belong to Benin
is to belong to a story
too powerful to fade.
Oba of Benin
A labourer is worthy of his earnings.
Food
Local and Continental