Through the Lens: Angèle Etoundi Essamba

Let's switch gears from all things gorgeous on Flickr to more gorgeousness from Cameroonian photographer Angèle Etoundi Essamba. I just love these images of black women and the reason why she has chosen this as her main focus of this body of work. When recently asked why this is her focus, Essamba commented:

"I wanted to challenge usual representations of black women....They also show African women in traditional roles: that of mother and caretaker, of worker in the fields. I did not recognize myself in these images and it seemed vital to me to break with it and to apply another look on African women and on myself." (read full interview here)

I think this is so true as any images of African women today continue to be so one-dimensional. Luckily, photographer like Essamba are helping to break that pattern.

{Photos: Kolnart49, in focus galerie, desdebabia, Afrika Nieuws}