Re-Association

With this project I digitally re-associate men with some prohibited elements, an attempt to deconstruct the stereotypical image and unnatural codes of an African man.

Being a man, an African man myself and witnessing first-hand raw discussions about the male body during my teenage-hood in the village where we hold grouping during bathing ritual in the river and been a victim of those stereotypes. The male subject has been my interest for five years of my professional career which I’ve produced those images.

With this project I digitally re-associate men with some prohibited elements, an attempt to deconstruct the stereotypical image and unnatural codes of an African man.

This dissociation from vulnerable elements in the kind of flowers, butterflies, fluid, certain colors, designs, etc. is a depiction of how hard we should be and keep up with the denial of our

full range of emotions and display of affection. I aim to open conversation about masculinity, addressing issues surrounding it such as patriarchy, body shaming, vulnerability, sexuality, etc.