art director
This work draws from Ghanaian, Zimbabwean, and Nigerian cultural influences. The subject turns away from the viewer, creating a silent but powerful gesture. The image invites the audience to question where they will look next for the African gaze, and how African cultures are represented and understood beyond external perspectives.
Basotho explores a cultural fusion of South African, Nigerian, and Zimbabwean identities, reflecting the interconnectedness of African cultures across regions. The work highlights the blending of traditions and visual symbols, presenting African identity as dynamic, layered, and evolving rather than fixed within colonial narratives.
The material is so rich in tapestry and texture, it almost bursts from the frame, carving a silhouette of the subject as though we’ve been transported to the heart of Kenya—to the land of the Kikuyu people. It feels as if we’re being invited to sit and learn their ways, their rhythms, their legacy…