The Shoemaker - 2018

Artist: Toni Payne

Medium: Digital Photo

Edition: 1/1

The Shoemaker is a memorable figure and the epitome of hard work. This is someone who walks around different neighborhoods announcing his presence, sometimes with a click of his box of instruments. When you need your shoe fixed or cleaned, they provide immediate service. A lot of shoemakers come from the northern part of Nigeria to Lagos to seek greener pastures. The job can be tasking and there really is no age barrier, as long as you are able to walk around all day or find a busy location to make ends meet. In this image you find the shoemaker taking a break from what could have been miles of walking in the hot Sun. The amount of money made, most times unequal to the labor put in, but somehow they keep going.

Lagos is a fast paced and vibrant city located in the West African nation of Nigeria.

If you pay close attention, there is always a visual story to be told in the streets of Lagos. One common theme you will find is, small scale entrepreneurship is a way of life for many, in what I call the hustle and bustle of Lagos.