black sisterhood shines bright in this uplifting photo series

Africans living throughout the diaspora have to work considerably harder to maintain a sense of identity in foreign (and often white) spaces. Photographer Mimi Mutesa is using her gifts to re-affirm and celebrate her African identity in the photo series ‘Sunshine is My Favorite Color: A Black Female Exploration of Sisterhood’. Africans are children of the sun and that seeps into every aspect of our self-expression. Living in colder and whiter places than Africa can feel like one’s Africaness is being stifled.

“It was birthed by the simple fact that as a Ugandan woman now living in a predominantly white (and sun-deprived) part of America, I felt a space was missing for me to express myself artistically not only as a black woman, but as a black woman from East Africa. I wanted to create images that would remind myself of my rich and nuanced African-ness in America. I wanted to create images that radiated a distinct sense of lightness and laughter in a world that is sometimes anything but sunny for black women.” – Mimi Mutesa

Mutesa wanted to create images that radiated light and laughter, depicting the often forgotten truth that, when needed, Black women can be their own sun, shining a light on everything they touch. The photo series also emphasizes Mutesa’s longing for sisterhood as African women make their way in different parts of the globe – “women that loved their kitenge head wraps just as fiercely as they loved their H&M high-waisted jeans.”

Credits

Photographer: @mimimutesa
Make-up and artistic co-director: @ericanyakato

Models:
@_asinut
@bertiejeanmarie
@_kugana