English | Ghanaian
Growing up I was filled with a lot of confusion over my identity. I had always felt very different growing up in a predominantly White area of the UK and often felt that I would fit in better in Ghana. But as I grew older and was able to travel between Ghana and the UK more frequently I felt even more lost as I experienced the same feelings of displacement or foreignness in Ghana as well. I think these experiences growing up left me in a kind of limbo over being mixed-race. Despite being half English and Ghanaian, I didn’t feel especially accepted in either country.
I think the first time I went to Ghana was quite a big moment for me. As I mentioned earlier I had grown up in a predominantly White area and had mainly identified as being Black. Yet suddenly when I arrived in Ghana, especially more rural areas, I would find everyone staring at me and my Mum along with calls of ‘Obruni Koko’ (White person). This was quite jarring for me because I think I had made some many assumptions or projections into what Ghana would be and how I would fit in. I thought I would finally find a sense of belonging but again found that same feeling of otherness which I had grown up with in the UK.
Today I think through my painting and research I have been coming to terms with my mixed-race identity. Especially thanks to the amount of diaspora communities I’ve become a part of and have been able to speak and share with. Feeling culturally isolated often makes you feel lost especially when it’s in situations with family. Painting has often been my outlet and safe place to express my feelings and thoughts.
I connect to my cultures through oral storytelling, cooking, and community. Cooking is quite a big one for me, especially in the last few years. Making sure I learn a lot of the recipes that I grew up with is really important to me. Not only are they culturally significant but even the process of making good food and the smells capture so many precious memories. Storytelling and photography are also crucial to me. I’ve treasured my parents old photo albums and have tried to keep my own physical records/archives.
Sign up to Patreon or Subscribe to our website to read more stories