Diapositiva 1
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Joana Choumalis portraits show modern African women swapping
jeans for kente cloth and diving into the dazzling cultural
heritage of their families.
Ebri Akan-Cleoptre is a medical student at the University of
Abidjan she wants to become a paediatrician. She is from the tribe
of Abidjan, Ebri. Cleoptre arrived at the studio wearing jeans; her
natural style is very modern
Malagasi-Even if we dont speak the language or dont go to the
village every day, we are still African, Choumalihas said. I think
its time to redefine what being African is
FonEach photo shows a different style of tribal dress like this
from the Fon people of west Africa
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Yoruba-In Resilients, Ivorian photographer Joana Choumali shows
modern African women dressed in the traditional clothes of their
ancestors and celebrates rich and beautiful cultures in danger of
being forgotten
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Arabic SudaneseChoumali found her subjects on the streets of
Abidjan: women dressed in contemporary clothes like jeans and
heels. They were instructed to wear something worn by their
grandmother or another older female relative
Ebri Akan
Another seriesmeanwhile goes behind the scenes of an Ivorian
mannequin manufacturer, to highlight the construction of African
beauty ideals
Sandrine is an Agni from the Akan group. She lives in France and
owns a cosmetic company focused on natural beauty products. She
came to the studio with her mother with whom she has very tight
bond, and wore her grandmothers clothes, from the royal family of
Abengourou. Her mother explained that the grandmother kept all
thekenteclothes and jewellery in big trunks for her daughter and
granddaughter Sandrine is also wearing her grandmas wig
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Atti Akan-Sandrine is half Ivorian and half Senegalese. She
lives in Abidjan. She was unemployed and recently divorced when she
agreed to pose for the project. The shoot was very intimate. After
posing, Sandrine confessed she felt stronger, ready to start over
her personal and professional life. Today, she works as a
commercial agent in a company and recently got remarried
Arabic SudaneseFatma is half Ivorian, half Sudanese, says
Choumali. Posing in her mothers clothes allowed her to connect with
her story. Fatma works in Abidjan as a communication and events
coordinator - she travels the world and is very independent. The
photoshoot helped her discover the more feminine, stronger side of
her personality
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Photograph: Joana Choumali
BambaraChoumalis other projects also delve into African
heritage, such asHaabre, The Last Generation, which documents the
facial scarring rituals of Burkina Faso
Peulh Guinea-Choumali, living in modern and cosmopolitan
Abidjan, felt disconnected from her grandmother who was based in
rural Ivory Coast. After she died, Choumali worried she was losing
touch with her roots
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Apollo AkanDanielle spent her childhood living in Spain, while
her father worked at the Ivorian embassy in Madrid. Now she teaches
Spanish in Abidjan. Danielle is wearing her grandmothers outfit.
The style and design is typically 1950s. During the shoot Danielle
was very emotional as her mother had recently passed away, and she
realised how similar they looked. The photo session was like
therapy
Tagbanan MalinkeLydie is a lawyer, and has lived in London most
of her life. I met her on the internet as she was looking for a
photographer for her wedding in Abidjan. Her outfit is from the
Tagbanan tribe, who are originally from north Ivory Coast. Lydie
was proudto see herself in the traditional outfit she said that she
felt like she was reconnecting with the cultural part of
herself
Soukeyna studies marketing in Bordeaux. She had to ask the
permission from the King of Grand-Bassam to borrow these clothes
and jewellery. The outfit was worn by the Queen, her great
grandmother, in the 1930s. She came to the studio with her mother,
who was in tears at the resemblance between Soukeyna and her great
grandmother. They brought an old portrait with them to the studio
of her at 17
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Photograph: Joana Choumali
Peulh SenegaleseShe celebrates natural, unstyled African hair in
her portrait seriesNappy!, whileEmotions Nufeatures black nude
bodies presented in a worshipful, almost sculptural way
Joana Choumali : born in 1974 and based in Abidjan (Cte
d'Ivoire). She studied Graphic Arts in Casablanca (Morocco) and
worked as an Art Director for McCann-Erickson, Abidjan before
embarking on her photography career.
Photograph: Joana ChoumaliEND05-MAYO-2016
