I am a Ghanaian American artist, who is working with photography. My art and research celebrates African and Black Aesthetic through looking at my own identity. Growing up in a Ghanaian household in Michigan for majority of my life, and revisiting Ghana this past summer helped me embrace cultural traditions. My own aesthetic is influenced by Kente Cloth, the royal umbrella, gold jewelry and the process of my hair being seen natural or in braids.
The Royal Umbrella is a symbol of power. It is used to protect and shade the King, chiefs, and Queen mothers. I am using the umbrella as a foundation in my art as well as looking at the sovereignty of the Black Aesthetic. Through self-portraiture I reveal parts of my body as a way to broach my own Blackness. The scars that are left on my body are from a life of surgeries. This makes me who I am. I am breaking down personal stigma around my body. This process has allowed me to see my own beauty and blackness.
