Halem’s Vision : Where Art and Identity Meet

Halem, the eye behind Halivision, is a visual storyteller who captures the world in still frames. With a lens tuned to emotion and atmosphere, she transforms everyday moments into lasting memories. Her work is soft, intentional, and reflective, a quiet celebration of beauty, identity, and feeling. She explores the world through light, texture, and feeling. Whether it’s self-portraits, candid memories, or curated frames, her work reflects a quiet curiosity and a genuine desire to preserve the beauty in everyday life. Through Halivision, she invites us to see life not just as it is, but as it feels.

Can you Tell me a Bit About Yourself and Your Creative Journey so Far?

My name’s Halem, I’m from Kano, I currently live in London (sometimes Abuja and Kano) I love yawoooo- ,another word for adventure in Hausa, I enjoy exploring new places, meeting new people, learning new things and the most obvious thing, taking pictures. I grew up taking pictures but I realized after my masters how much I missed it and decided I’d actually pursue it with more energy than I had before, so from September 2024 I’ve been trying to make things happen whether it’s networking, collaborating or bringing my own ideas to life and so far so good I’d say I’ve met some pretty cool people and produced some cool things.

What Sparked Your Love for Photography and the Arts?

How I got started was actually by chance, when I was in year 10, I happened to join the photography club because my mom just liked the idea of my sister and I having after-school activities. The club introduced me to things like video editing, sound editing and obviously photography which I fell in love with and I’d practice on my phone. After hoarding photos I had this one friend who kinda pushed me to make a page and so when I was 14, “Halivision” was born. I would post flowers and the sky, which I think is a rite of passage when you get into photography.

How Did your Upbringing or Environment Shape your Artistic Vision?

Honestly, if not for my parents, I don’t think I would’ve found this path. As I mentioned before, my mom put me in a photography class early on, and that small decision planted the seed. Then, during my foundation year, my dad bought me my first camera, I was over the moon. I took photos of everything and everyone around me. Their support gave me the freedom to explore. From editing to self-portraits during COVID, to experimenting through undergrad and even shooting events for a while every phase of my journey started with them believing in me. I’m truly grateful for that.

Where do you Draw Your Inspiration from , People, Places, Moments?

Hmmmm, this is an interesting one of my inspiration really sparks from random things. Sometimes it’s in a moment where I kind of see a shot that could work and try it out, or I could be influenced by sounds, nature (my walks in the woods are very helpful), culture and Pinterest.

How would you Describe Your Creative Style in Three Words, and Why?

Colorful, Authentic, Different. As much as I’m all for drawing inspiration from things I don’t like to copy and paste. I like my art to reflect who I am. I’d like people to look at it and instantly think of me.

What do you Hope People Feel or Take Away when they Experience Your Work?

I hope people not only feel encouraged to pursue their passions but that the way they see life matters too and to embrace their authenticity.

What’s Your Perspective on the Creative Space in Africa Right Now?

I think there’s so much amazing talent in Africa, but I don’t know if we gatekeep a bit with the space. There is a community but at the same time, people kind of do their thing and move on. I think there needs to be an improvement in togetherness and the realization that there’s enough space for everyone to win.

Who are Some Artists or Creatives that Deeply Inspire you?

This is a hard question, but bluenotnice and AmzyObr. When I first started photography I was super interested in Bluenotnice’s retouching style and the way he used colors in his portraits. And then as for Amzy Obr, one random day in 2019 I was on Snapchat back when they used to do those random news story posts and I saw an interview with her and she introduced me to the world of concert photography which was really cool because she was Muslim and African too. I ended up meeting her last year, very cool.

What’s One Piece of Art, Yours or Someone else’s , that Changed how you View Creativity?

This one is super random but my friend Nana used to edit photos with me in foundation and she (idk if she knows this) really challenged me to create differently and more outside the things I was able to see. Because of her i started editing more and started making photo collages. And a special shout out to Netania, Fadwah, Tasneem and Paul, my close friends for always being my muses.

Where do you See Yourself and Your Work in the Next Five Years?

I see myself and my work in exhibitions, In Sha Allah, but also creating a community where everyone benefits and can look deeper into their creative selves.

What Advice would you Give to a Young Artist just Starting Out?

Please, go out and meet people, the right people, practice, practice and practice again, post, post and post again and on top of that, market yourself hard.