My body is always with me and all I've ever known. I explore my perception of myself in the many forms, shapes, and layers I take on to feel comfortable. At times hiding and contorting, shifting and conforming. The dialogue between me and my body is ever-changing. I try to view my being, myself from a perspective of love as I know that is all she wants and truly needs. The rest, anything not of love and adoration was not my own doing, only projections of the outside world imposed on me before I even existed. Through confronting this I make peace with it. I realize I was enough all along. Self Portraiture allows me to become the author and subject of this narrative. This is the most empowering part. My body is always with me and all I've ever known. I explore my perception of myself in the many forms, shapes, and layers I take on to feel comfortable. At times hiding and contorting, shifting and conforming. The dialogue between me and my body is ever-changing. I try to view my being, myself from a perspective of love as I know that is all she wants and truly needs. The rest, anything not of love and adoration was not my own doing, only projections of the outside world imposed on me before I even existed. Through confronting this I make peace with it. I realize I was enough all along. Self Portraiture allows me to become the author and subject of this narrative. This is the most empowering part.
With this project, Nigerian-American,
I visually navigate the impact these cultures have on my perception of myself. At times, I have felt embraced by both, while at other times, I have felt alienated. Many young people of the African Diaspora constantly feel like they have to choose between both cultures. My work exists to remind us that it is okay to evolve and create new definitions for ourselves. In this series, I find ways to appreciate and empower myself through my culture, family, style, and art. This project is an ongoing endeavor, as I continue to include more personal depictions of myself and other young Nigerian-American women around me. Representation has always been a significant motivation in my work. By capturing dynamic and beautiful images of myself and those around me, I am achieving this goal, giving us the spotlight we have long deserved.
I held on to any powerful Nigerian media I was shown as a child. My mother had stacks of Nollywood DVDs in her room and I would see these powerful women grace the screen every day. I gravitated toward Nollywood, I saw a glimmer of myself in them. They were so stylish, so sure of themselves. In my work, I emulate the characters my sisters and I looked up to as little girls. By playing with cinematic composition, dramatic poses, hair, and makeup, I reimagine ourselves as them, transported to a world we envision they inhabited.
