Made in the Fire – Caleb Ishaya Oseshi

With many local blacksmith workshops in Africa, blacksmithing has been part of the African society since 1500 B.C. It was used for making agricultural tools, musical instruments and for crafting weapons for war. A blacksmith was highly regarded and feared for their skills, and often held high social positions. In some cultures, they were considered to have magical abilities because of how difficult it is. Over the years technological innovation has affected traditional blacksmithing in Africa with a few workshops still operational. This series was from a research project, Documenting the Local Craft Communities Around Me, conducted in Kurudu, Abuja, Nigeria, in July 2023. The research was focused on preserving the local craft workshops using photography. 

Caleb Ishaya Oseshi is a documentary and street photographer. He tells stories through photography, exploring nature’s beauty and human diversity. He is a participant of the UNESCO World Heritage Volunteer Program in Nigeria; he also collaborated with Kaduna Fashion and Art Exhibition (KAFART) as a Research Photographer (2023). His photographs are featured in Sunlight Press, Synchronized Chaos, Watershed Review, Tulsa Review, The Word’s Faire and other publications, with exhibitions in Nigeria and the United States. He is a Creative Business Studio Alumni from Unpublished Africa and a member of Member African Photojournalism Database (APJD).