How Top Teacher Ebuka Mordi Sparks a Creative Community in Nigeria

Like many successful photographers, Ebuka Mordi didn’t receive a formal degree from a prestigious art school. Instead, he taught himself to create evocative images that capture the beauty of a brief moment, and through many years of practice, has developed a distinct style. Today, Ebuka is an Adobe Rising Star, Ambassador, Partner and Creative Resident, as well as an Agora Awards finalist, to name a few of his many awards and recognitions. And as a Skillshare Top Teacher, he’s able to share his expertise with thousands of students around the world. As student Ella Onyeka put it, Ebuka is “able to teach the basics so clearly and in a captivating way.” Similarly, student Jeff E remarked that “Ebuka presents the material in an easy-to-understand format.” With such glowing reviews, it seemed only natural for Ebuka to take his knack for teaching from the internet to the classroom. And luckily for some of Nigeria’s burgeoning photographers, that’s precisely what he did. From watching Ebuka’s Skillshare classes, we can try to imagine what an in-person class of his would entail. But at the end of the day, only the workshop’s participants truly know what the experience of attending it was like. These are some of the things they had to say. “I have really enjoyed myself,” one participant said. “The entire workshop exceeded my expectations, to be honest.” Another said that they “learned to tell authentic stories as they are, and not to pretend or create a story that is not relatable.” For them, “that was something that really stood out.” Even for participants who were initially unsure about attending, the experience was a resounding success. “At first I was scared to come because I was meeting new people and I did not know how it was going to be,” one participant shared. “But then here I am, and it has been amazing, and I am so glad I came.” Ebuka himself had only good things to say about the workshop, too. “Being one of the facilitators of this amazing workshop, I’ve been able to experience learning at a different level,” he explained. “I’ve seen participants who are willing to learn and who are willing to put in the effort.”