The prefix ‘poly-‘ means more than one or many.
Made up of many different identities (British, Fulani, Muslim, West African), I find that I often struggle to have a firm understanding of myself and my place in all the communities I belong to. ‘Poly-’ explores the conflict I have with my identity whenever I try to connect with my Fulani roots outside of the confinements of Islam (a religion that 99% of Fulani people follow), and my struggle and failure to meet both the religious and cultural requirements of my tribe due to my British identity and values.
Throughout the project I use the theme of polymers (using polymeric materials such as plastic bags, cling film, plastic containers and bin bags, to highlight the fact that my identity feels synthetic and not true to me. The properties of these materials mean they cannot easily be destroyed, the same way I cannot easily rid myself of Islam or my Fulani culture. Plastic cannot break itself down naturally, and instead pollutes our oceans and landscapes. Burning plastic releases toxic fumes. Every time I try to reinvent my identity to suit my values, every time I try to break down the polymeric chain that is my cultural and religious upbringing, nothing but toxicity comes from it and I end up feeling as though I have no identity at all.