A series exploring self-perception and found sisterhood by Nigerian-American photographer Chiemeka Offor. Based in New York City, Offor captures communal narratives of the African diaspora through autofiction and phantasmagoria, often using self-portraits to emphasize our individual roles in collective healing. In “Nwanne M Nwaanyị” Offor focuses on the hair salon—a sanctuary where “we finally get to be soft”. The title of the series translates to “sister” in Igbo, Offor’s mother tongue. It is in the in-between and the undone that Offor seeks to see her “sisters” in hopes of finally seeing herself. Though initially focused on the hair salon, Offor’s journey extends to other spaces that “mirror myself back to me” as the project falls back to her roots and those who came before her. Reimagining themselves through hair, culture, and ritual, Offor imagines a sisterhood that speaks to what it feels like to exist away from home but also every place that has become home to them.
“Our roots are our lifelines. Amidst the whispers of grief and the cries of hope, I hum the hymns of my mother’s mother, a tune known only to Igbo women. Today, I sing this song for us all.”
“Nwanne M Nwaanyi” opens Friday, September 4th. Chiemeka Offor participated in our 2026 Book Award open call and made our shortlist.
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