Artist Uses An Ancient Handmade Fabric To Create A Contemporary African Queen

The Lagos Photo Festival is the first and only international arts festival of photography in Nigeria, and we at Konbini will be profiling one amazing photographer set to exhibit at the festival – each day – right up until the festival (which runs from October 22 to November 21).
Keyezua, the brilliant artist behind the powerful Afroeucentric series, is back celebrating Africa with her latest project, An Ancient Angolan Queen. The photography project captures the image of a young woman wearing handmade clothes made of raw materials – using ancient techniques.
On her Tumblr , Keyezua explained her project:
“I used the first fabric made in Angola to celebrate women. Most women in Angola celebrate Africa with fabrics made in Europe designed by Europeans for Africans. With this work, I explore our ancient handmade fabric to create a contemporary Queen. “

An Ancient Angolan Queen (Photo: Keyezua)

An Ancient Angolan Queen (Photo: Keyezua)

While speaking with the Lagos Photo Festival about what inspired her work, Keyezua said:
“It is essential to produce and reinvent without forgetting our practices and traditions, emphasizing the fact that today, not only Africans but the world has a strong desire to find authenticity to construct modernity and tradition.”
“There is a modern design limitation, old Angolan weave masters were never challenged to reconstruct and revive traditional crafts made with materials found and further developed in Angola.”