ARTIST STATEMENT
My work explores identity, inner strength, and the emotional worlds that exist beneath the surface of the self. Through symbolic portraiture, handmade elements, and a blend of cultural and personal memory, I create images that stand between reality and metaphor, inviting viewers to pause, feel, and interpret.
Blessed Rain reflects my ongoing exploration of blessing, protection, and inheritance. Using a handmade cloud and cascading cowrie shells, the piece connects spiritual symbolism with the quiet sense of being covered and guided by something greater than oneself.
Across my work, I use photography not only as documentation but as construction. Almost everything is handmade, props, styling, sets, which allows my cultural heritage and personal history to guide the visual language. My intention is to create images that feel both intimate and universal, grounded in symbolism yet open to multiple interpretations.
My practice continues to evolve through experimentation, storytelling, and a deep commitment to portraying womanhood, memory, and identity with dignity and depth.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Rahimat Onize Shaibu is a Nigerian-born fine-art and portrait photographer currently based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Her work centers on identity, cultural memory, womanhood, and emotional transformation, often expressed through symbolic portraiture, handmade props, and a blend of traditional and contemporary aesthetics.
She began her creative journey while studying at university in Nigeria and has since developed an approach that merges visual storytelling with cultural symbolism. Rahimat works across fine art, conceptual portraiture, and editorial-inspired imagery, building scenes that weave together heritage, emotion, and narrative intention.
Her work has been selected and exhibited internationally, including shows at Boomer Gallery (London), Espacio Gallery (London), The New Art Gallery Walsall (UK), Art Center Sarasota (USA), RBSA Gallery (Birmingham), and multiple group exhibitions in Nigeria. She was also shortlisted for the British Photography Awards and has been featured in Amateur Photographer Magazine several times, including Picture of the Week and a Top 10 feature in the Colour category of the APOY2025 competition. Rahimat is developing a strong practice that explores themes of inheritance, spiritual reflection, and the inner lives of women—using photography as a means to construct rather than simply capture. Alongside her fine-art work, she runs RahimArt Media, offering photography and videography services.
She continues to build a growing international presence through exhibitions, open calls, publications, and her ongoing conceptual projects such as Roots and Threads and Woman-Warrior-Wight. Her work reflects a commitment to storytelling, cultural pride, and emotional depth.
© Rahimat Onize Shaibu