Editorial for the Bodies of Knowledge project by SHOWStudio curated by Nick Knight and Emma Dabiri
For the MANJU journal X SHOWstudio project, I wanted to pay hommage to the African archive in order to express how cultural practices in Africa are remembered and passed on from one generation to the next. Memory in the digital age means archive to me: the ability to record and gather information, stories and traditions that before the digital age were only transmitted orally.
By taking inspiration from post-colonial West African photography and their composition, KÉBÉ NDIOUGÄ tells the story of 2 Senegalese sisters and is named after in reference to the model's mother’s last name and their lineage. They feel very connected to the strong women that are part of her side of the family and all they have been through and through these images, they pay an hommage to them and all they have endured for them to live as unapologetic and selfishly they wished they could have. The story explores the notion of memory in the digital age through an African lens and how memory can be expressed through fashion. The story pays homage to the memory of our ancestors by emulating their sense of style and translating it with a more modern take.
Collaborator/Contributor : Richmond Orlando Mensah (@orlandofficialle) at MANJU Journal (@manjujournal) & MANJU Studio (@manju.studios)
Photography:Yannis Davy Guibinga (@yannisdavy)
Styling: XadjiStudios
Starring : Aminata (@iyeketi) & Marieme Mboup (@iammarieme )
MakeUp: Jess Cohen (@jesscohen____)