Bush Girl 2015

Curator: Here we have Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s "Bush Girl," created in 2015. It's a mixed-media piece, skillfully combining acrylic paint and collage techniques. What are your first thoughts looking at it? Editor: It feels…layered. Both literally, with the collage, and emotionally. There's a sense of something concealed and revealed at the same time, like a memory trying to surface. The colors are muted, almost nostalgic. Curator: That sense of layering speaks directly to Akunyili Crosby's exploration of cultural hybridity and diasporic identity. Her work often investigates the complexities of belonging. Here, she uses the visual language of collage to weave together personal and historical narratives. The “Bush Girl,” as the title indicates, is deeply embedded with questions of the environment, gender, and indigenism. Editor: The figure on the left – is that her? She’s looking directly at us, almost confrontational, yet partially obscured. And the plant in the foreground; it feels like a barrier, or perhaps a symbol of growth and resilience. I wonder what these old images mean? Curator: Precisely. The artist incorporates personal photographs, images from Nigerian popular culture, and historical references, all layered onto the canvas to create a rich tapestry of meaning. In postcolonial studies, this superimposition is viewed as an act of reappropriation and the visual dialogue allows us to question fixed notions of identity, home, and belonging. Notice how this woman blends into the scenery as a ghost of herself? Editor: Yes! The more I look, the more I see – fragmented stories pieced together to form a whole. And the composition itself feels deliberate. The juxtaposition of the intimate domestic scene with the outside world – is there some reference to liminal spaces or to be in a state of in-betweenness? Curator: You've touched upon one of the central themes in Akunyili Crosby's work, her emphasis on the hybrid space – the in-betweenness of cultures and experiences. The background suggests an interior space and it contrasts with the "bush" that could be a metaphorical extension. This resonates with feminist theories about the representation of women of color and their negotiation of space. Editor: I like how this work gently compels us to consider all these themes of cultural identities. I feel encouraged to keep examining the space that contains so much context. Curator: Exactly. Akunyili Crosby encourages us to engage in critical self-reflection. Editor: Definitely worth spending some time with; this one really lingers in the mind.