Jesco Denzel, Germany

Since around 1860, fishing villages built on poles have grown along the lagoon of Lagos, Nigeria. Now they are seen as interfering with the rapid growth of the metropolis. And since some of them have already been wiped out, like the Otodo Gambe community in 2016, the demographic pressure in the remaining settlements is growing. One of these settlements is Makoko, where German photographer Jesco Denzel captured the everyday life of its inhabitants, particularly the children.

An estimated 150 000 people live here and yet the local government of Lagos invests nothing in the infrastructure there - for example in drinking water supplies. Or schools. Most inhabitants have no access to education. Both adults and children in Makoko are in danger of becoming displaced or homeless.

Curriculum Vitae: Jesco Denzel (Freelance Photographer)

Jesco Denzel was born in 1972 in Bremen, Germany. He left Hamburg University in 2000 with a Degree in Political Science and Geography and went on to Hannover School of applied Sciences and Arts to study Photojournalism.

He's been working as a Freelance Photographer for magazines and newspapers from 2005 along with personal long-term projects – namely his docuementary work about the Gipsy community of St. Jacques in Perpignan.
His works have been published in GEO, Stern, Der Spiegel, mare, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and other publications. In 2010 he started working as Official Photographer with the German Government whilst carrying on his freelance projects.

His work has been exhibited many times in Germany and abroad, including three appearances in the evening shows at Visa Pour l’Image. In April 2018 he received 1st price in The World Press Photo Awards, Contemporary issues category, for a photo from his Lagos series.
Jesco lives in Berlin and works worldwide.