About Obsession 1 Project

These pictures are of my niece Nzoussi , my lovely and beautiful niece wearing her lovely, natural and organic long hair. I was lucky to have taken these photographs as this was one of the rare times she was not wearing a weave/extension. ‘Obsession’ is a visual project that explores the politics of black hair, inspired by my niece's natural, long hair and her resentful, difficult relationship with it. What is it in society that makes young black women feel that they are not beautiful enough in their own skin and everything that makes them special and unique and powerful? Why are more and more young women afraid to embrace their uniqueness and to be proud of it? I fail to understand how a girl like my niece cannot embrace her natural hair, kinky Afro? Instead she wants soft and smooth hair. Being negatively influenced by the dominance of white/Western imagery is something people of the African diaspora are so painfully familiar with, in Africa the market is being flooded by fake hair, wearing weaves and bleaching skin is supported by mainstream media, natural hair is in danger of disappearing. Straight hair and light skin has become the new "beauty”. "Obsession" is intended as a celebration of the beauty and strength of natural beauty.