Ngwane "Kreative" Kwame: Cameroonian fine art and documentary photographer documenting social causes and environmental decolonisation

Ngwane "Kreative" Kwame is a storyteller whose work exists at the intersection of social journalism, documentary filmmaking, and social curation. Since graduating with a B.Sc. in Journalism and Mass Communication in 2019, he has dedicated his career to telling stories that connect African realities to global causes.

His journey began with local storytelling, leading the award-winning Young Ambitious Talented radio show and interning at Cameroon Tribune and HITV. These experiences taught him that a story is only as strong as its connection to the community.

Since 2021, he has produced and directed documentaries that serve as tools for accountability and education, including The Diabetes Bomb in Rural Cameroon, which highlights health challenges for the elderly, and the Liangamele: The Water Documentary series, which successfully showcased efforts to secure potable water for villages in Buea.

He is currently working on Dreamers on an African Rocket, a project documenting the growing enthusiasm for outer space exploration and education in Cameroon through art.

In 2020, his art was selected for the UN’s 75th Anniversary exhibitions in Paris, Geneva, and New York. Most recently, as a 2025 NEWF Fellow in South Africa, he has been researching the decolonisation of the colonial gaze, focusing on how Africans can tell their own environmental and social stories with professional rigour.

How would you describe yourself?

I like to describe myself as an experimental storyteller — and a failed rapper. I have always been a storyteller at heart, finding different mediums for expression, from high school rap groups and poetry to curating events and discovering my love for film.

My first exhibition in Cameroon was at the Annie Kadji Art Gallery for our initiative, We are All Liquid, created with my Dutch friend, Eva Boeree. We collaborated with artists from different regions in Cameroon to create water-related art to raise awareness and funds to provide potable water for Debundscha, which is ironically one of the wettest places in the world. I was the only photographer exhibiting, and this served as my first experience as a curator.

How did you get started in photography?

Photography was intended to be my way of understanding how to tell a story with a single image before moving on to moving images, which is film. I remember editing my first photo series, Through the Walls of Colourism, and many others on my iPhone 7. I miss that phone — shoutout to Lightroom Mobile 2019.

I would search for how to edit cinematic photos on YouTube and follow the tutorials from there. With a rented camera, I would go out and simply try to make sense of these wild ideas with my friends.

What type of photography do you specialise in, and why this speciality?

I have always loved photos that tell a story in the same way a canvas does. I believe photography can and should be elevated to that level. Over time, my style has become more centralised on decolonising the European gaze and being more intentional with the photo series I create, utilising techniques learned from masterclasses and beyond.

What are the main themes or ideas that inspire your photography?

I am inspired by a sense of belonging, as seen in my series on persons with albinism; a sense of hope and aspiration, as shown in my Dreamers on an African Rocket project; and environmental awareness through my work with NGOs.

What moment in your photography career are you most proud of?

Seeing my work contribute to helping over 750 children in the town of Debundscha through our exhibition. The exhibition gained traction in the Netherlands, and a company subsequently took on the project to complete the pipe-borehole system.

What is the biggest challenge you've faced as a photographer?

People in certain communities may despise individuals carrying cameras because they have previously been promised many things while their struggles were documented. It is important to first understand that their aggression is valid, and then speaking with them candidly usually helps to overcome this.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be and why?

I have to put the work in to eventually collaborate with one of my photography icons, Cho Gi-seok, whose surrealist works always leave me in awe. I imagine telling an African story through his lens and seeing his style mingle with mine.

What do you think of the 54Ruum platform?

It is needed. Important work is being done for the African photo art scene, which is easily overlooked. You guys rock — we shall prepare Eru and other meals for you.

How is the photography and art space in Cameroon?

As an art form, photography is not yet very prevalent. Regarding art in general, I believe we have some of the most talented people in the world. However, the landscape could be improved with more government funding and assistance, as well as a change in mindset from parents who often restrict talented youth to traditional professions.

What advice would you give to someone starting in photography?

Equipment might matter, but your ideas and stories matter more. I edited most of my most acclaimed work on an iPhone 7.