Yagazie Emezi is a Nigerian artist and self‑taught photojournalist whose work quietly reshapes how African stories are seen and understood. Born in Aba and raised in Abia State, she studied cultural anthropology and African studies before picking up a camera in 2015, a choice that would become a powerful foundation for her creative voice. 

Her career quickly expanded beyond the streets of Lagos to the portfolios of major global media outlets. Emezi has been commissioned by The Washington Post, Vogue, Al‑Jazeera, The New York Times, Newsweek, TIME, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Guardian, National Geographic, and many others; platforms that value her ability to document identity, culture, and lived experience with honesty and depth. 

Recognition followed not by noise, but by consistency. In 2018, she was selected as one of six recipients of the inaugural Creative Bursary Award from Getty Images — a prestigious international award that supports emerging photographers — and later received a grant from the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos for a series on sexual violence and vulnerability. 

Emezi’s steady rise continued when she became the first Black African woman to photograph for National Geographic Magazine. In 2020, she was awarded the National Geographic Storytelling Grant. Her work has also taken her to residencies such as Kehinde Wiley’s Black Rock Artist Residency in Senegal, and she has earned shortlist nods for the Contemporary African Photography Prize and the German Peace Prize for Photography. 

Her projects rarely chase trends. Whether exploring trauma and body politics, education in West Africa, or cultural identity, her lens stays thoughtful and rooted in a deep curiosity about human experience. Her imagery isn’t just seen,  it invites reflection, asking audiences to look again and see more. 

In a visual landscape often dominated by flash and spectacle, Yagazie Emezi’s work stands as a testament to patience, observation, and depth. She continues to build a body of work that is as purposeful as it is resonant, and in doing so, she defines her frame — on her own terms.  

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Instagram: @yagazieemezi | Tiktok: @yagazieemezi