Tom Saater is a Documentary photographer/Photojournalist, Documentary short filmmaker, Podcast producer, and researcher from Nigeria. His work is focused on contemporary social issues, Immigration, Economy, and humanitarian. His work has been exhibited internationally, including in the Venice Biennale, University of Oxford, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Denmark, and as part of the EverydayAfrica traveling exhibitions across the world and among others.
Saater has worked for International media outlets and organizations including The Economist, Google, Washington Post, New York Times, TIME, Zeit Germany, State secretariat for Immigration Switzerland, Financial Times, Lufthansa, The Telegraph UK, Japan Times, Bloomberg, BBC, Human Rights Watch, Mercedes Benz, IFC, UNHCR, WFP, UN/OCHA, Oxfam, Catalyst for Peace, Canon Europe, Big Dutchman Germany, International Rescue Committee etc.
In 2018, he was invited to facilitate a storytelling photography workshop at Contact Photography Festival in Toronto, and give a talk about his work at the Bronx Documentary Centre in New York. He is a member and contributor to the photography collective Everyday Africa.
The 36-year-old has seen Lagos from many angles: photographing everyone from the CEOs of massive corporations to the so-called Area Boys gang members, producing work somewhat reminiscent of renowned photographer Don McCullin’s 1950s portraits of the gangs of north London.
“You cannot describe Lagos, you can only experience it,” he says, sitting in the apartment he shares with friends in an upscale part of the city. “The city is very fascinating . . . it’s vibrant. There’s so much happening, so many layers. Everything here is extreme. There’s extreme wealth and extreme poverty.”
He called Lagos a “melting pot”, “very overpopulated” with “massive inequality,” but “a lot of opportunities . . a place where people become millionaires overnight”.
