Who Do You Think You Are?

This series was initially shot in collaboration with Nimbus, a gallery based in Lagos Nigeria that was aiming to rejuvenate their art sales, along with enticing people to purchase their traditional aso-oke garments. However, as I worked with the garments and elements for the shoots I found something more compelling emerging. As a Queer, African, female ex-pat living in majority-white spaces for 3/4s of my life, the question "who do you think you are?" has followed me unavoidably. Seen in the double-take of strangers eyes as I moved down their street, ate in their restaurants, went to their schools and rode their buses. "who do you think you are?" as I bound my chest, visited museums, buried myself in the library, rocked to System of a Down. "who do you think you are?" with my bleached blond hair, piercings, distinctly un-Nigerian way of moving through the world. "who do you think you are?" with my rejection of the default attributes ascribed to my gender, my skin, my nationality. My disparate selves continue to rub uncomfortably against each other, their jagged edges co-existing in precarious balance. Adorning my body in these deeply traditional garments, cut in a masculine style is a multi-layered approach to reconciling the core elements of myself, for myself. A queer, African, former ex-pat, a woman living her life left of centre, adapting the trappings of a traditionally patriarchal society to fit the world she wishes to live in. This series became an invitation to step in front of the mirror and ask with intention "Who do you, think you are?"