Interview with Photographer Rachel Seidu

Presented at the Théâtre du Nord from September 19 to December 20, 2025, the exhibition Peas in a Pod weaves a visual dialogue between the queer communities of Lagos (Nigeria) and Lille.
An interview with the Nigerian photographer behind the project: Rachel Seidu.

How and why did you get involved in the project? Peas in a Pod ? What does it involve?

Rachel Seidu : The Project Peas in a Pod it was born out of curiosity and a personal need—as a queer Nigerian woman, I’ve often heard that life would be better “over there,” that all my struggles would disappear if I left Nigeria. It’s a hope that many of us cling to, sometimes desperately. But when I started traveling, talking with other queer people, and documenting their lives through photography, I realized that freedom is never fully granted to us—not even in spaces considered safe. So this project became a way to ask whether the grass really is greener on the other side.

Peas in a Pod consists of a series of intimate portraits and stories that document the lives of queer people outside of Nigeria: their way of life, their zest for life, and how they build communities and remain true to themselves in often challenging environments. The project explores the similarities that transcend borders—not only in struggle, but also in care, laughter, love, and the small ways people resist being rendered invisible.

As someone who is part of the queer community in Nigeria and has led artistic projects with the queer community in France, what differences or similarities have you noticed?

Rachel Seidu : Of course, there are differences: access to legal protection, public visibility, or simply the ability to walk down the street without fear. But what surprised me the most were the similarities.

In France, just as in Nigeria, queer people create safe spaces for themselves, remain deeply attached to the families they have chosen, and face microaggressions as well as structural issues that don’t magically disappear with a visa. There is also a shared tenderness: the fact that people look out for one another, that joy becomes a form of resistance, and that our lives do not come to a halt because of pain.

In Nigeria, survival often takes a more “noisy” form. In France, it is more discreet, but still very much present. The pressure of social norms and internalized fears do not simply disappear just because one crosses a border.

After Normandy and Lille, where would you like to continue? Peas in a Pod and why?

Rachel Seidu : In cities like Berlin, Johannesburg, and São Paulo, where queerness is visible yet still complex, where queer people of color exist and actively shape the culture, despite their own struggles. These are places where I believe we can find both contrasts and connections—with people who navigate systems, languages, and multiple identities, all while finding ways to live their lives to the fullest.

I hope this project will be seen as a global dialogue—one that focuses not only on difficulties, but also on tenderness and resilience—on those small rituals and communities that allow us to keep moving forward, no matter where we are.