Mustapha (2019)

This project documents Mustapha Jinadu, a Nigerian-American artist and poet based in Staten Island, New York. His story is one of survival—a relentless battle to reclaim his life from the shadows of substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and the suffocating grip of paranoia.

Born in 1974 to a Nigerian father and an American mother, Mustapha's early years were spent in the vibrant chaos of Lagos, Nigeria. It wasn’t until he was 17 that he moved to the U.S., where his life would take a series of unexpected turns. At 33, the birth of his son, Mehmet, ignited an internal storm. The crushing weight of societal expectations and the newfound responsibility of fatherhood became overwhelming. In a desperate attempt to navigate this harsh new reality, Mustapha sought solace in alcohol and substances, slipping into a cycle of addiction and self-destruction.

In and out of jobs, separated from his wife, and isolated in his struggles, Mustapha finds himself on the fragile path toward rebuilding. His focus is on the fragments that remain—his relationship with his son. His journey is a tender attempt to bridge the gap between who he once was and who he hopes to become for Mehmet, striving to be present in ways he never thought possible.

As I document Mustapha’s fight to reconnect with his son, I am confronted with my own history—of growing up without a present father. His journey becomes, in some ways, a mirror to my reflections on fatherhood, absence, and the desire for redemption.