Auras are seeable. It is just left for one to open up the mind and see it. When one’s mind opens up, the clarity is unsettling and haunting at the same time. This is what photographer, Andikan Pelumi felt when he was shooting his latest project, Ma ṣe fi ọwọ Kan mi (Don’t Touch Me). The photo-series is accompanied by a Yoruba poem of a similar thematic direction.
Andikan’s model, Oba Roselyn John was not herself during the shoot. Stripped down to almost nothing and wearing only chipped cardboard, there was a valid reason for her to feel insecure. This insecurity was also where Ma ṣe fi ọwọ Kan mi derived its strength. Roselyn wore the fear on her face, like a mask.
The photographer saw the fear on his model’s face. “The pictures spoke to me while looking at them after editing,” Andikan says. He thought Roselyn was worried for her safety. His thoughts would be confirmed weeks after the shoot as Roselyn confirmed to Andikan that she was a two-time survivor of rape.
This revelation helps you consume Ma ṣe fi ọwọ Kan mi on an even more intimate level. Ma ṣe fi ọwọ Kan mi is Andikan’s most timely and culturally relevant project till date.
See the project below:
Other Articles
Sexual Harassment in Nigerian Universities
