Birds of a Feather
- Paulie
- Aug 7, 2023
- 5 min read
Hey hotties! I’m late again because my ass is too fat it slows me down. Let's talk about love.
Nigerian artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby makes art which explores “the spaces where disparate cultures overlap”. Living in Enugu, Nigeria until the age of sixteen, Akunyili Crosby then moved to the United States, where they still reside. A mix of mediums, acrylic, pencil and collage help weave in textures, images and colours from both homes to stunning effect. My favourite piece is above, Garden Thriving. I like how the sharp, blocky lines and colours of the architecture contrast with the layers of flora which vary in opacity to overlap each other and create a romantic backdrop to a moment of intimacy between the two subjects.
In each of Akunyili Crosby’s works, there is a clear love for the subject and for their environment, which evokes a nostalgia for something inaccessible, a diasporic landscape of faces and places. The men in Akunyili Crosby’s work are often in vulnerable, relaxed positions, cradled by women.
