Visual artist Ngadi Smart focuses on subjects left outside of the frame. Hailing from Sierra Leone and based between Côte d'Ivoire and England, the photographer has seen how people often adopt a one-sided view of Africa. “African identity is far more layered and profound than what people may perceive,” she says. Examining cultures and subcultures, Smart is unpacking what it means to be African today. In particular, she’s bringing to light an overlooked aspect of people’s lives in West Africa – gender and sexuality.
“Gender is a polarising issue around the world,” Smart says. “Although our societies are modernised, gender roles are still very traditional and so is the concept of sexuality.” Same-sex relationships are legal in Côte d'Ivoire, yet the LGBTQIA+ community risks discrimination and even assault. While there is a flourishing drag scene, it’s largely underground and artists are not always able to be open. Through her series ‘The Queens of Babi’, Smart celebrates two local drag queens as they express themselves outside in nature, glittering in paint and jewels. “I want to change Africans’ perception of the community by sharing their stories as they reflect true human rights issues,” Smart says.
Seeking to explore identity outside of prescribed boxes, Smart’s series ‘Amorphophallus Aphyllus’ deconstructs conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and the similarities between them. In ‘Longing and Belonging’, these notions further blur as she captures the human need for connection outside of gender roles. While providing a platform of self-expression for her subjects, Smart is revealing the humanity that binds us. “I hope my images create empathy and understanding for people some may consider ‘other’,” she says. “All we want is to connect with each other as our authentic selves.”
Images by Ngadi Smart were used in the creation of this film.
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