I am a graduating senior, a student of history and religion, focusing in African and Islamic studies. I am a traveler, an interfaith worker, and a writer in addition to being an artist (and/or doodler.) I have worked mostly with digital media, but I am just now getting into markers and using geometrics, faces, cities, and ink. I'm enjoying it a lot.
--
There are two groups of works in my gallery: photography and artwork.

My recent artwork is done with markers, particularly needlepoint black ink pens and sharpies. I have been going towards abstraction, bringing together my love of bright colors, tiny details, henna designs, and women's faces, dresses, and bodies. These works are deeply inspired by the semester I spent living and studying in Accra, Ghana, at the University of Ghana, Legon. These are inspired by the paradoxical metropolitan Africa: concrete towers, roads full of minibuses called trotros, women selling pure water on their heads, men selling chocolate in the middle of a four lane highway, and taxis--lots and lots of taxis. Amidst all this is the beautiful, bright, bright, bright colors of African fabric and African clothing. The smog and dust and humid air in Accra drags the color out of everything--except for the clothing. People walk around as beacons in an otherwise brown-tinted world. It is truly a fascinating place. These designs are also inspired by henna designs, and I draw most of my inspiration for the geometrics from henna patterns.

The photography is also related to Ghana. Most of the images I have posted for sale are from my trip to Ghana, however I hope to eventually branch out and post some earlier and later ones. I am a child of Lake Superior--though not in the regular way. I went there every summer for a two week vacation, but because I moved so much as a child, this was the only place that saw me grow up like a home would. So, it's home. This however inspired in me a love of travel. I want to go everywhere, and I want to photograph everything--though I struggle a lot with the fear of someone saying "Why are you snapping me, Obroni???" I am now both trying to get back to Africa, to Egypt, and I'm hoping to find a way to get to India as well.

In short, my artwork is me trying to make sense of, artistically, the madness that is Africa on the madness that was my already confused and emotive brain. That produced this. I hope you enjoy it and consider purchasing it.

Images can be viewed full size at my website:
http://www.kagaipalace.com

Recent Images