WOMEN OF COTE D’IVOIRE
PHOTOGRAPHY WITH PURPOSE
The Digital Diary
Voice, Visibility, Recognition – this is what black women have been fighting for every day of their life. As a woman, you get to fight for yourself to be heard, have rights, respect, honor, and more. But as a black woman, you are constantly fighting two fights: your fight for women’s rights and the recognition of the color of your skin, the honoring of black women. This photo book celebrates African beauty, especially Ivorian beauty. The pages of this photobook are filled with beautiful, strong, and exceptional women, mothers, daughters, and sisters. The Ivorian woman’s beauty is very diverse as Cote d’Ivoire has been a welcoming land for many people from the four corners of Africa earlier in the days. This series not only celebrates the Ivorian woman’s features but also “their brain.” The women you encounter through this book are smart, powerful, elegant, gracious, and the list goes on. For so long, black women have been underrepresented, stereotyped, or body shammed because of their features. Now, we are changing the narratives. I choose to capture who and what I don’t see in art, on television, in the history book. I capture my subject around natural elements as flowers, plants, skies, sand to support the idea of harmony, peace, and beauty. God created things perfectly - black women come in every shade: dark, brown, light, albinos as nature comes with many colors. As nature comes with different textures and looks, black women come with various beautiful features: big nose, thin nose, big lips, thin lips, freckles, afro hair, thick, slim… I choose to explore a new aesthetic of African femininity, African brain, and Ivorian beauty.
Meley Laetitia Sie
Alex Boli is a beautiful and talented singer. She embodies a gracious and soft persona with her Neo-soul and Rn’b music.
POETIC VERSE “African woman, Black woman you are beautiful, and you can do everything that you set your mind to. Freedom is yours, freedom is yours, freedom is yours! Let yourself grow as the cedar tree, as nature grows. You see, nature does not worry as it knows, his creator will provide! So be free and grow like the cedar tree.”
EZEKIEL 17: 23: On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.
Shanni Boigny is a talented makeup artist. She masters the art of enhancing beauty with her talent.
POETIC VERSE Beautiful soul, blossom like the lilies in the valley. Do not hide your marvelous and glorious beauty. Blossom! Blossom! Blossom! Beautiful soul!
HOSEA 14:5: I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
Anne-Maika Diomande is my beautiful little sister that I love so much! She is an aspiring model and fashion is her all-time passion.
POETIC VERSE: Beautiful Black princess, your beauty goes beyond the physical realm. As God perfects and restores your spiritual beauty. It flows from the spiritual realm to your spirit, your soul, your heart, your morals, your values, and your exterior beauty.
PSALMS 139:14: I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Mel Logbo Louise is the true definition of aging gracefully. She is 98 years old and used to be a nurse in her active life.
POETIC VERSE: May the Lord blesses you with the water of life. That everlasting source that feeds you life, quenches your thirst and graces you with a long life but moreover eternal life!
JOHN 4:14: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Carole-Aurelie Ohoua is now the mother of a beautiful boy. Her parenting journey led her to the creation of Nayou an ethical, social, and eco-responsible brand. Every Nayou’s products are manufactured in an artisanal way in Côte D’Ivoire.
POETIC VERSE: Woman, you are a miracle vessel. God graced you with this beautiful miracle, the ability to procreate. You are life and you produce life through God’s power.
2 PETER 1:3: His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.
Visual Artist Fatima Porquet approaches art with an edgy and contemporary style. Art is truly her natural habitat.
POETIC VERSE: Woman you have been created by the creator itself, the best artist of all time. Art runs and flows through your vein. Let it be free! Let it grow! And let it inspire the world.
EXODUS 35: 31-33: And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.
This portraiture is tremendously important to me. Through this beautiful photographic painting, I want to raise awareness on albinism. So many stigmas around it, especially in Africa. And my goal here is to truly celebrate her beauty. Rosa is a hairdresser. She expresses her creativity through the art of hair braiding.
POETIC VERSE: Woman no matter what people say about you, know that you are beautiful! You are worth it! Your beauty comes within your inner self, and not from what the world may think about you.
SONGS OF SONGS 4:7: You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.