Of 30 Siblings

Every family is particular in some way, but 1390 was wondrous!  The Oyo family was the
unique bunch on the block.  We were Africa in the streets of Brooklyn.  We stood out not only by our
clothing and religion, but we were our village, and for some reason, people were attracted to us
and what we stood for. A community-centered family of entrepreneurs, educators, and artists.
I grew up in a large polygamous family in Brooklyn with 30 siblings, several mothers, and one father.
My Islamic and traditional African upbringing blended (at times with friction) into the contemporary American society that surrounded us, causing me to reconstruct the cultural traditions I chose to retain from my past.

Of 30 Siblings is a celebration of the Oyo Family.  I began photographing us with intent in 1994, just a
year after entering College at 16.  While in school, I didn't struggle with topics to photograph because
I wanted to document the world I grew up in on the other side of my lens.  The contrast between
African and Islamic clothing in Brooklyn streets left a big question mark.  My father's love for Africa
lives in us all and somehow reveals throughout the compositions of each portrait.  The series depicts
the essence of black Brooklyn and the rich merging of culture and fashion.  Visitors from various
countries and walks of life seemed to patronize my family's businesses and community events
(Merchants of Oyo, African Islamic Mission, Aim Cyber Lounge, Family Day Picnic, etc. ;).
We were about building the community, yet the community that lived within us all was most intriguing.

Our eyes tell stories from our pasts and present, weaving patterns like the silkscreen fabrics my father created in the backyard during the summer.  The family grew more significant as the years passed, and our stories became more layered.  In this series, each sibling naturally forms the narrative.  Depictions of happiness, struggle, peace, grief, & birth often exist within these photographs.  A metamorphosis of ideas, faith, and youth into adulthood can be seen.  Silent dialogue is captured through space where a mother gracefully touches her son's foot or two cousins bonding on a sofa Sunday afternoon.  Like many families, the history may vary depending on who tells it.  I want to capture the beauty of us all.

I can simply express my love for shooting the 1390 siblings with the 4x5 view camera as it takes more time, and much care is placed on the subject and their environment.  The clarity, detail, and time it takes to make the portraits become an artistic experience and process which tells our history.  My siblings are as familiar with my documenting us as they are with seeing their sister age behind the "large old fashion camera.  I am always amazed by the sentiment(s) captured during each subject's stillness.