"The future can never be fully grasped. The present is fleeting. The only thing we can ever hold on to is the past," says Nigerian photographer John Chukwu Peter, who explores ideas of nostalgia and melancholy through his image making. Coming from a fine art background, he turned to photography in 2019 and embarked on his professional journey when he moved to Lagos in 2021. It’s here that this emerging talent has developed his craft through connections with likeminded creatives and balancing commercial work with more risk-taking and personally fulfilling projects such as ‘Brotherhood’.

A collaboration with stylist Mariam Taiwo, and debuted here on Nataal, the story “came to life through the beauty of the moment itself,” Peter says. “It was an intuitive response to my feelings about brotherhood and finding a sense of belonging while being vulnerable within growing adolescence.” The team headed to the beach where the cast became one with nature, and each other, as they bloom into adulthood together. The project captures those small yet precious moments that are part of kicking back with friends, while also venerating Black masculinity in all its forms. “We need to reform the idea of masculinity in a way that deconstructs its societal perceptions. A redefinition of Black masculinity is often tied to queerness, especially within Nigeria where certain behaviors are frowned upon. But a guy should be able to be in touch with his emotions without being tagged as queer. These two aren’t mutually exclusive.” Above all though, ‘Brotherhood’ is a story of free-spirited youth, its mere creation, a simple and true act, speaking volumes on its own.