Random Photo Journal is releasing its first online and print issue

Created in February 2017, by multidimensional artist Arinzechukwu Patrick, Random Photo Journal is a media company which focuses on the power of a random photo that speaks about daily realities, and it stems from the idea that positive art can be created and also found in a random space. It is also a writing platform for African Literature and supports writers via competitions.

Scholars have the natural need to study but as much as studies are needed one cannot ignore the artistic aspects of photography, and for that Random Photo Journal is a way of seeing. It is also a public record of how and where people live their lives.

The images curated online will always be a tiny selection from a large, ongoing body of work that even this issue will not be able to fully cover but, in general, the idea remains to observe the Social Ecology of neighborhoods as the living conditions and cultural norms will always vary from rural to urban areas. In this issue, we will be looking a bit closer at the circumstances of people’s lives as opposed to just making photos—shelter, food, clothing, safety, access to social amenities and such. It is our way of taking subject engagement a step further, opening up and being vulnerable enough to address a diverse set of concerns relating to representation and identity.

This year’s release will feature six Artists from Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, France, The United States and Amsterdam whose work engages meaningfully with present-day Africa on a diverse range of perspectives on Literature and documentary photography. They are an online and print magazine which features documentation and stories from emerging writers and photojournalists based in Africa.