Unyọñ Ufọk (Going Home)

PHOTOGRAPHY

Oct 8

London-based Purist Gallery presents Unyọñ Ufọk (Going Home), an intimate photo-and-film exhibition by Nigerian-British artist Emily Nkanga. From 9–11 October 2025, the show navigates grief, memory, and the emotional terrain of “returning home” through visuals rooted in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria.

Photography Emily Nkanga

Emily’s grandfather, Elder Okon Udo Nkanga, in his room. February 2022

Purist Gallery in London will host Unyọñ Ufọk, an exhibition of work by photographer and filmmaker Emily Nkanga, from October 9th to 11th, 2025.

In Unyọñ Ufọk, Nkanga presents photographs and moving-image work she created during a return to her native Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, following her father’s funeral. Through portraits of local musicians, boxers, community members, and scenes of commemoration, the project documents quotidian life while likewise tracing the emotional contours of grief and belonging.

The central invitation of the exhibition is to contemplate the resonance of “going home”, whether to a physical place, a memory, or an affective state. The works open a window into Akwa Ibom’s cultural, social, and embodied life, while also charting a deeply personal narrative of mourning, remembrance, and transformation.

Elisha Uko Asuqwo and his bamboo block ntakrok, Ikot Nya, Akwa Ibom. February 2021

Boxers training. February 2021

The photographs and moving images were first published earlier in 2025 by GÒKÈ (the monograph Unyọñ Ufọk), and the book is held in the library collections of both Tate and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The book can be purchased here

Admission to the exhibition is free and open to the public, and signed copies of the book will be available for purchase at the gallery.

An Okada man waiting for a passenger. February2022

Women in commemorative outfits of Emily’s father ,Idongesit Okon Nkanga, for his burial. February2022

Book Cover

About Emily

Emily Nkanga (b. 1995) is a Nigerian-British photographer and filmmaker based in London. Working between documentary and portraiture, her practice explores themes of identity, memory, community, and belonging. She holds an MA in Filmmaking (Goldsmiths, University of London) and a BSc in Communications & Multimedia Design (American University of Nigeria). Her projects include Narratives of Displacement, documenting Boko Haram–displaced persons, and the acclaimed monograph Unyọñ Ufọk (GÒKÈ, 2025), now in the Tate and V&A collections. Nkanga has exhibited internationally, with previous shows in London and Nigeria, and her work with major music and cultural institutions continues to shape her distinct visual language.

To see more of her work, visit her website or follow her on Instagram

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London-based Purist Gallery presents Unyọñ Ufọk (Going Home), an intimate photo-and-film exhibition by Nigerian-British artist Emily Nkanga. From 9–11 October 2025, the show navigates grief, memory, and the emotional terrain of “returning home” through visuals rooted in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria.

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Unyọñ Ufọk (Going Home)

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