The purpose of this series is to visually narrate the tales of my culture, the historical context and current realities. As communities move towards gender equality, I draw from my own cultural heritage and its need to recognise the shortcomings in this aspect.
This series reflects a world where men wield the authority to occupy public space, wrapped in their traditional white mundu, a symbol of their purity, that legitimises their self-granted sense of status and privilege. Women in their world are reduced to symbolic figures of beauty and desire. Objects that can be undermined with impunity.
This series is anchored in a vibrant, humid, evergreen landscape that I have omitted and instead portrayed a public space, that is tired, weathered and worn. I’ve depicted the men with dark skin, contrasting their valued beauty standard. The ground is littered with different culturally tied details expressing the passing of time as their dominance weighs on their communities. It is this cultural psyche that I am trying to explore in my work.
My series ‘Brothers, Fathers and Uncles’ illustrates a world where the postures and the remnants at the feet speak louder than the unseen and unheard conversations beyond the frames.
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