Barbara Minishi
(Kenya)
The depth, power and magic of visual storytelling has been an intrinsic part of Barbara Minishi’s life and purpose since childhood. In 2004, she connected to the camera as her first true voice of empowerment, expression & freedom.
Themes of intimacy, identity and belonging are important elements that continue to permeate the how & why that drives her creative journey. Barbara values legacy, personal responsibility and growth and even after 15 years she still feels fresh and ever learning about the world and art and craft of photography.
She recognizes the power, impact and privilege of African women owning their voices and images and leading their narratives of navigating their own female gaze. This project, Utawala, is an extension of that ethos. She was recently internationally listed as one of the Black women photographers to watch in 2022 and welcomes an impactful year of new horizons and co-creation.
UTAWALA -The Kenya Traveling Dress Legacy Project
An environmental portrait series of 30 Kenyan women from different backgrounds, navigating change, purpose and agency, wearing a single beaded outfit. The outfit is to be made from beads sourced from different Kenyan tribes and put together by women skilled in the art of traditional beading.
The colour red is a statement of power, presence and amplification. ‘UTAWALA’ is a Kiswahili word that means ‘to reign’, and refers to the change that starts within self and then permeates to affect society.
Representation, Unity, and Power are the core foundational themes. The featured women (including LGBTQIA & Special Needs) are between the ages of 18 to 99, in both rural and urban areas.
What legacies are they embodying? What social, cultural, climate, technology and economic shifts are they navigating? What do we learn from their environment and the stories they share with us?
BTS Footage
Gallery
