In TELLUS, Dickson Mbi Turns to the Mami Wata to Confront Climate Change
When Dickson Mbi found himself fazed by the numerous climate crises gripping the globe in real time, he wondered how he would explain the state of the world to his son. The Olivier-winning choreographer and composer was certain he had to return to the stories from his Cameroonian parents that comforted him growing up in […]
Whose Taste Is It Anyway? The Cultural Renaissance of the African Home
In the 2009 published book Yoruba Proverbs and Philosophy, author and traditional leader Chief F.I. Sotunde coined the term “westernosomiasis,” a condition he believed was draining African youth of cultural pride, treating their heritage with indifference while embracing anything Western. He wrote about what was at stake for future generations and the significance of returning […]
Holy Dress Codes: What Comes to Mind When You See the Garment?
There is usually something immediately legible about religious dress codes. When I see a woman in a hijab, a man in a yarmulke, or a Black American Southern Baptist church hat, I have some sense of who they are — their values, their community, their relationship to God, defined largely on their own terms. In […]
Nigerian Women Are Dressing Against the Code
Two decades ago, Y2K marked one of the most expressive moments in Nigerian fashion, shaped by the rise of internet culture and the influence of Nollywood. Visibility, then, felt intentional and confident rather than excessive. A version of that sensibility has returned, carried by a generation that dresses for how it wants to feel rather […]