Publication Project: by Mallam Mudi Yahaya & Mareike Palmeira
*Zazzau – Through the Gates of Time* is a beautifully designed illustrated book featuring a collection of essays by Mallam Mudi Yahaya. The book features forewords by the Sultan of Sokoto and the Emir of Zaria. Richly illustrated and carefully curated, it explores the history, culture, identity, and social developments of Zazzau and the wider Hausa world, combining in-depth analysis with compelling visual storytelling.
Drawing on decades of research, photographic documentation, and cultural fieldwork, this book offers nuanced insights into the heritage of one of Nigeria’s most significant historical emirates. By combining scholarly reflections with a powerful visual narrative, it documents the people, traditions, architecture, and evolving social landscape of Zazzau over time.
This publication is co-funded and supported by the Jutta Vogel Foundation. Through its funding, the foundation helps make Zazzau’s cultural and historical significance accessible to an international audience and strengthens intercultural dialogue on African history, identity, and visual culture.
Mallam Mudi Yahaya is a Nigerian photographer, filmmaker, researcher, and essayist. His work makes an important contribution to the documentation and interpretation of African identities, history, and visual culture.
Mudi Yahaya, one of Nigeria’s leading artists, explores interpretations of hybrid African identities through their various visual dialects, forms, and vocabularies.
ART AFRICA Magazine
Reverberations, South Africa, March 29, 2024
