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graduate portfolio

Adaeze Ihebom niversity of Westminster MA Photography Arts

Catherine Troiano: Among the staged submissions, this project stood out for its simple and powerful approach. Ihebom’s series of meticulously staged self-portraits captures centuries of history, narrating complex themes of colonialism, identity and womanhood with exceptional finesse. The attention to detail is remarkable, and Ihebom’s consideration of gaze, distance, angles and balance affords each of her women a sense of unmistakeable individuality. Ihebom breathes new life into iconic literary precedent, and her work eloquently examines the relationship between fiction and reality; and between personal and collective experiences.

Caroline Hunter: The confidence of Ihebom’s gaze in each frame of her series of self-portraits is the first thing that struck me about this compelling body of work. Moving through centuries and decades, the simple execution seems to conceal the layers of historical narratives that she attempts to convey in each image. Part staged, part performance, I found myself wanting to know more about the identities that each self-portrait conveys, and while the idea of staging yourself as characters from the past is far from original, there was an intensity in this work that held my interest.

Ezinma Okwonkwo 1900

Maryann Ginika Okwonkwo 1960