Written by Dilan Setiya
Njideka Akunyili Crosby is a Nigerian-born visual artist working in Los Angeles, California. Akunyili Crosby's art "negotiates the cultural terrain between her adopted home in America and her native Nigeria, creating collage and photo transfer-based paintings that expose the challenges of occupying these two worlds". ‘Janded’ is a tantalising piece of work and once you come really close to it, it will reveal itself more and one might notice the tribal mark she has on her cheeks which was a practice prevalent on people who grew up in the village or very rural settings in Nigeria. So the artist played with the character that has this tribal mark that ties her to a village. However she also has these signifiers of being connected to life outside. She has a beautiful hairstyle replicated from one of Tyra Banks looks and she’s wearing a cameo earring, both that are symbolic of the modern life outside Nigeria, associated to vintage shops in America. Hence, she begins to inhabit this dual space. ‘Jand’ as a noun means life over-seas, and ‘jand’ as a verb is connotative of travel. So the name ‘Janded’ refers to this woman as someone connected and accepted by the world outside Nigeria.
Thematically, the contrast of the dark figure with the white alabaster earring its meeting of two separate cultures, a point of contact between disparate elements but also a point of union between two very different cultures. This world is full of versatile cultures, that are not accepted and respected everywhere. Judging and excluding people on the basis of their race or religion is intolerable. Hence, we all must take a step, educate and influence people around us to make this world a better place to live for everyone.
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