Nigerian | English/Uruguayan
My Mother is the strongest human being I have ever come across. She taught me how to love unconditionally, how to forgive those who hurt you, and to look for good in every person. I think my poetic side definitely comes from her, she had a way with words and often spoke to me in parables and idioms. She was a single Mother of 5 and a very successful farmer, developer and entrepreneur. She did much to empower her community and those around her. Unfortunately she passed when I was 17, but the values and examples she gave me will be with me forever.
I'm more Nigerian than I am anything else, culturally and genetically. I love the food, the music, the clothing and print in particular! I was born in the Yoruba part of Nigeria and my Mother is originally from the Igbo region, so even as a Nigerian I don't have a clearly defined culture. I really wish I could speak Yoruba or Igbo fluently but there's still time to learn. I love the sense of community and general respect you find across the country. There's also a certain level of realness in most of the people. I found in Nigeria you could have a passionate conversation with someone and just never see them again, people there are so energetic and usually straightforward.
I think what I love about my English side is the respect for other cultures, people always speak on the intolerant side and the imperialist side of England. But English people also have a way of embracing and celebrating other cultures which I think is wonderful, I think that's why London is so diverse. Also it sounds simple but being able to speak English is also a privilege, English literature is a passion of mine too! It’s a very convenient and a really valuable language to know. I also love British humour and how polite people are.
I am not connected to my Uruguayan side culturally at all, I would like to know more in the future, because my Uruguayan Grandmother’s work was one of the things that inspired me to become an artist, and I'm sure her work must have some cultural influences too!
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In collaboration with Poetic Unity