Wasi has something to share

I'm one of 30 photographers who've taken part in Elsie's November 30 day photo challenge. You can find out more about it on her blog here , but basically we each took a photo, and Elsie produced one in response. Here is my image: And here is Elsie's response: Check out the whole series on Elsie's blog:  https://ek13photography.com/blog/ #photography #collaboration

A note on timing: I started writing this piece in April, 2019, as an assignment for Uni.  Then my mum got sick and passed away, and everything was set aside.  Earlier this year, I came back to this, and decided, despite the time that had passed, to finish it anyway.  Then of course, to quote a friend 'a literal plague' happened. I did finish it, though, and finally, here it is.   Bald Black Girls Reign in Sutoyé’s Barbershop words and images by Wasi Daniju 13 April 2020 “I think I was seeking a community, I didn’t know I would create one’. Ruth Sutoyé, artist and co-curator of Bald Black Girl(s). Installation view of Bald Black Girl(s) , 13 April 2019, Unit 5 Gallery, London. © Wasi Daniju The first time I shaved off all my hair 8 years ago, a male friend told me women only do this as a sign of mourning.    My mother told me that in Islam, a shaved head was reserved for men.    As for my own intentions - it was simply a liberation f...

§   I haven't blogged in a minute.  I felt to share this short piece I've just finished for a Uni writing task - thinking I might expand it a little when I have time. - - - - - - -  African Choirboys/Albert Jonas and John Xiniwe, The African Choir; 1891; London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Image ‘You have no control - who lives, who dies, who tells your story’.                 – Chris Jackon, Who Tells Your Story; Hamilton:                        An American Musical, Miranda (2015) Two young boys lean on a balustrade, skin glowing in the studio light, faces turned upwards as though contemplating the heavens, the absolute picture of carefree contemplation. This photographic recreation of the two cherubs from Raphael’s Sistine Madonna is both immediately recognisable and very much its own work -  ...

I took three of my favourite pictures today - the first two were of each of the little boys, Uthman & Sultan, who rent the house next door to my grandma's.  Our family owns the house, which seems to be a common thing - for houses/bungalows to be built as semi-detached, as it were, and then for one of those to be rented out, while the family uses the other one.  I was sat outside, using the last of the daylight to type example questions, when Sultan, the littlest (about 2), walked past, and me and my cousin (another one) noticed that he seemed to be wearing make-up.  His aunt had made him and his little brother up - I always find it quite hilarious how older siblings and parents do that to little boys, make them up and dress them in girls' clothes, but would probably not think it so cute if he turned up dressed like that in about 15 years' time (though perhaps I underestimate them).  Uthman, the older brother (about 7 or 8) approached us with his hands over his f...