The inspiration for these images came from a deep conversation I once had with my mother. I was considering ending a relationship and asked, “Can you truly hurt the people you claim to love?” This question created a paradox: if you truly love someone, you wouldn’t hurt them, but if you don’t, hurting them shouldn’t be a problem. The primary question, though, was about self-love: Do you pick someone over yourself? And if you do, can it be said that you truly loved them?
Auntie Yaa, a fictional widow, wears her Kaba and Slit with a heavy heart. She mourns her husband but secretly holds a painful truth: she played a part in his death. Her life is a mix of love and betrayal—she loved her husband deeply, yet her actions led to his end.
Growing up in Ghana, I saw traditional Kaba and Slit clothing as storytellers. Inspired by an idea like Auntie Yaa’s, I tried to capture the hidden grief and heavy burdens that people carry, revealing the true essence of human emotions.
“Auntie Yaa and Her Kaba and Slit” is a moving collection that tells a deep, emotional story. My art invites you to see beyond the surface and feel the hidden depths of human experience, questioning how love and self-preservation can coexist.
Photography
@addokorie
Story by
@addokorie
Stylist
@herbertstudios
Muse
@nuerki_
Full story on
@addokorie ‘s website (link his bio).
