A king is a male ruler who governs an independent territory; a position inherits by birthright. Like Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), the 51st and current Ooni of Ife, who was born into one of the four royal families of the House of Oranmiyan. Some became kings by forcefully taking over territories in bloody battles. Like Shaka kaSenzangakhona (Shaka Zulu) who was born into a minority South African clan of the Zulus, but forcefully took over kingdoms and territories after the death of a powerful king, Dingiswayo. For Kelechi Amadi Obi, he worked hard, from the bottom to the top, to become the king of photography.   

Kelechi didn’t start his journey as a photographer; he read Law. However, after Law School, he chose visual art; he became a painter. That was in 1993 when every parent would prefer their children to be doctors, lawyers or engineers. Kelechi Amadi Obi would later use his painting skills to cut his path into professional photography. In this interview, explore how a lawyer-turned-painter-turned professional photographer became one of the most sought-after international photographer of our time.