The Becoming

This photograph captures the "baptism" of newly admitted Theatre Arts students at the University of Ibadan—a chaotic, cathartic rite of passage. It is a moment of violent transformation. Here, a new world is not just possible; it is being forged in real-time. I used a shutter speed that would render the downpour as a dynamic curtain of water, a veil between the old world and the new identity these students are about to inhabit. They are enduring this ordeal together, a community being created through shared struggle. The harsh light turns the water into silver streaks, illuminating a scene that is both a physical trial and a moment of spiritual rebirth. This is the story of what it takes to become an artist, or to become anything new. It is not a gentle process. It is a storm. And a new world is found on the other side of it, together.

Uploaded on 24 October 2025.