Various mythologies surround pregnancy in Nigerian culture, often holding mothers hostage to specific actions purportedly required to ensure the safety of themselves and their unborn children. These myths significantly contribute to Nigeria’s soaring infant mortality rates. They discourage women from sharing their pregnancy status with family members and hinder them from maintaining a proper, nutritious diet—for instance, the belief that consuming eggs could bring bad omens. Photographer Edirin John Duvwiama’s latest photo project, Child Protection, critically examines these deeply rooted myths surrounding pregnancy.

Child Protection is a two-photo series that centers on the widespread myth of Nigerian women using safety pins on their clothing, pinned above their pregnancy bumps, as a means of protection against evil forces. In his artist statement, John writes: “As a Nigerian, it amazes me that pregnant women put a safety pin on their clothes to protect their children. This practice is particularly common when they leave the house or walk under the sun. They claim the safety pin protects the unborn child from evil spirits, which are believed to cause conditions such as autism, Down syndrome, stunted growth, or other disabilities.”

The project features a faceless, nameless pregnant woman with a safety pin attached to her bump, adhering to the myth. The photograph is overlaid with a sepia filter and red vignettes around the edges, evoking the perspective of a child in the womb. One of the images has a safety pin prominently superimposed, emphasizing the myth’s stark reality. In his statement, John adds: “Personally, I cannot relate the use of a safety pin to the spiritual protection of a fetus, but Nigerian women, especially in the west, have passed this practice down to their daughters for generations.”

Edirin John Duvwiama – Child Protection

Buried within this project is the apparent sentiment that autism, or a lack of sufficient charisma might be symptoms of neurological damage in the young child. This sentiment extends beyond Nigeria and spreads across the world as anti-vaccine activists usually blame vaccines for autistic children. While Edirin doesn’t explore this facet in his works, the reason for this superstition mirrors similar harmful movements pushed in countries across the world. Which shows that all kinds of people can be victims of maternal superstition.

Edirin Duvwiama’s photography often explores themes of empathy and maternity. Another of his projects, The Ghost Series, delves into the themes of loss in maternity, addressing miscarriages, stillbirths, and child loss. Like Child Protection, this series employs a sepia filter, but with an experimental twist—the photographs are presented in negative form to heighten their emotional resonance. John explains: “The ghost baby serves as a poignant reminder of the lives that never came to be. This tiny, luminescent being radiates a sense of longing and loss.”

Edirin John Duvwiama – Ghost Queen

Through his deeply empathetic photography, Edirin Duvwiama captures the emotional and cultural complexities of maternity, offering commentary on the societal and spiritual politics that surround it. His projects have been exhibited in One Art Gallery, Circular Space, and Madeke Gallery. Looking ahead, John aims to create even more intimate artistic endeavors and expand his work to a global audience.

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