Anwuli: An Invitation to Joy

What does it mean to be seen, to be remembered, and to archive joy on our own terms?

Set in my paternal hometown, Adazi-Ani in Anambra State, Anwuli: An Invitation to Joy reimagines the photo studio as a communal space of celebration and remembrance. Drawing from the legacies of early West African studio photographers, the work invites indigenes to be photographed as they are in portraits that honor dignity, lineage, and the joy of being seen.

Growing up, ina ulo (to return home) every Christmas felt like arriving a peaceful haven, a feeling I still seek out as an adult. Adazi-ani holds personal significance as home and the place where the Archiving Igbo Joy project first began for me. Commissioned by  Tender Photos  to create work in response to the theme “Faces” for Tender Visions, this series became a natural extension, photographing the people in the place that shaped my early understanding of joy. As a branch of my long-term passion project Archiving Igbo Joy, this series will continue as a reflection on identity and belonging.