The body of work interrogates how belief systems, tradition, and culture shape the way we dress. “Spiritually Fashionable” brings the couture of Egúngún, a fancifully masked figure at the heart of the traditional religion and culture of the Yorùbá people of West Africa, into sharp relief in a way that is critical and innovative. While most people think of the Egúngún only in extraordinary, spiritual terms as the object of Yorùbá ancestral reverence, Adetona juxtaposes it with regular African models provoking his audience to visualize the ‘masquerade’ as a fashion spectacle. Thinking of the Egúngún in this way forces us to critically re-evaluate our definitions of what constitutes indigenous fashion, native fabric, traditional style, and local attire. It also compels us to consider the reality and mechanics of this kind of ‘esoteric fashion’ that is reserved for only a closed group. The series demonstrates how elements of culture, such as traditional religious practices and dominant notions of beauty, grooming, and embellishment, influence fashion styles.
Artist Bios
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Adetona Omokanye
Adetona Omokanye (Lagos, Nigeria) is a photojournalist and visual artist living in Toronto, Canada. His work explores Africa’s rich and diverse cultures, capturing its traditions, people, and social issues through the lens of their unique perspectives. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, He uses photography as a tool to showcase the beauty, complexity, and diversity of Africans in the diaspora. His works are included in public and private art collections.
Organizations
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Photoville
Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, which we are always striving for, by ensuring that the artists we exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race.
In pursuit of its mission, Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.
By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, we join the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.
Through creative partnerships with festivals, city agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, Photoville offers visual storytellers, educators, and students financial support, mentorship, and promotional & production resources, on a range of exhibition opportunities.
For more information about Photoville visit, www.photoville.com
Spiritually Fashionable
Featuring: Adetona Omokanye
Locations
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