Njideka Akunyili-Crosby’s I Refuse to Be Invisible (2013). PHOTO: Courtesy of the artist
Though women in the arts have suffered under-representation and been written out of the history books, some are demystifying the art space, which is helping them to make the desired statement. One of such female artists is Njideka Akunyili-Crosby.
Akunyili-Crosby is exploding the myth of ‘authentic African experience’. Her art “negotiates the cultural terrain between her adopted home in America and her native Nigeria, creating collage and photo transfer-based paintings that expose the challenges of occupying these two worlds”.
Akunyili-Crosby mixes the classic academic western technique with her personal life, Nigerian and American culture and African traditions. She composes scenes from her everyday life between two countries, using western elements like portra