What is in a Mark?
A shareable graphical card curation of what traditional facial marks means for its bearers. View And Download Images
About?
'What is in a Mark?'Is a curation of first-hand stories of what it's like living with a traditional facial mark in Nigeria. This body of work by Femi Amogunla explores “Ila Oju” as called by the Yorubas and “Igbu-Ichi” as called by the people of Nen in Anambra State capturing different kinds, examining their roots, relevance to the community and what it means to the bearer.
"Through the voices of my subjects, “What is in a Mark?” examines a past gone by and engages the future unknown while questioning the suitability or otherwise of the act." writes Femi Amogunla.
What I Did?
I converted each subject's story into a simple graphically image making it sharable on all digital platforms for anyone looking to amplify their knowledge on this age-old tradition.
People with marks do go through some form of discrimination, avoidance due to beliefs that they are evil and scary and are sometimes denied opportunities because people think they're not handsome or beautiful. This, I hope helps people unlearn these beliefs and encourage the view of tribal marks as normal and beautiful.
Femi Amogunla is a multimedia artist who works with stories, photography and film; he specialises in documentary and portrait photography. He is focused on creating experiences through his works. He sees photography as a form of expression which gives him a better understanding of the world. His works show the importance of situating African stories in global conversations. Follow him on Instagram