Inspired by Erykah Badu's song "Bag Lady", Abiona Esther Ojo created this series to free herself from things she has been carrying around for far too long. Badu sings: "Pack light" – a thought that became both the leitmotif of this body of work and a guiding principle the artist wishes to anchor in her own life.
Using cyanotype, an analogue photographic printing technique based on UV light, along with a selection of plant leaves and petals and drop-shaped cutouts from diaspora bags, Ojo explores different phases of a blooming process.
She prints footprints, fragmented portraits and plants. She stitches affirmations, questions and ideas into fabric. She sows seeds, hopes and dreams into various textiles. Ojo transforms statements into movements.
Through these gestures, the artist traces a journey of liberation, transformation and renewal – a continuous attempt to make room for what has yet to grow.