Essel Ekuban is a photographer and filmmaker whose work centres on memory, identity, and cultural history. 

Essel has been featured in several notable group exhibitions, including Lenscape at dot. ateliers and Berj Gallery, as well as the  ‘ what if we loved and and protected each other at PiaR and Bloom by the hearth,2025. They were awarded the Women Photograph Mentorship in 2025. She also recently completed a residency program with Nchedo (Nigeria,2026) and Rongo (Nigeria,2026).  She currently has an ongoing debut solo exhibition, ‘My body has dreams’.

Expanding their technical and narrative reach, Essel completed a Photojournalism Residency in Dikan (Ghana/2024) and participated in a residency in Koforidua with the Ahutan Collective, held in collaboration with the Office of the Italian Honorary Consul to Ghana. 

In cinema, Essel has established a strong presence as both a director and a collaborator. As a filmmaker, they have written and directed two short films, Dark Spot and She is They/Them, which explore the intersections of identity and visibility. 

Beyond directing, their keen eye for talent led them to serve as a Casting Assistant for two acclaimed international productions: the award-winning feature film BORGA and the high-profile BBC/Netflix series Black Earth Rising.