More Than Half

In these works, Muriu shifts her focus from camouflage to coexistence, anchoring her subjects in the kimono while setting them against the wax textile, a widely accepted backdrop of 'Africanness.' In doing so, she recognises the experience of Afro-Asian (Blasian) women, whose identities naturally bridge two cultures. In Japan, where the term hāfu (half) reflects an assumption of incompleteness, Muriu's portraits assert that both origins form a singular, unified presence.

Photo courtesy of Thandiwe Muriu and 193 Gallery.