Njideka Akunyili Crosby in “Realms of the Real”

Version without descriptive audio available here.

In a bright and spacious studio, artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby is surrounded by photographs and ephemera from her youth in Nigeria, reflecting on her current life in the United States while weaving the two worlds together in intricately layered paintings. In her work, Akunyili Crosby crafts a “third-space”–a dynamic melding of distinct cultures and geographies–through her signature blending of painting, drawing, and photographic transfer. Drawing from her personal archive, the artist calls attention to the small details that comprise our lives and identities, from a popular fabric pattern to specific plant species to an iconic album cover or children’s book, giving diasporic experiences a complex and joyful expression. Moving fluidly between memory and the present, this documentary short tracks the personal and creative development of an artist who has found her footing between cultures and mediums. “How do I bring myself into this tradition? How do I use this tradition to talk about the things that interest me?” says the artist. “It’s hard to label, but that’s intentional for me.”

This film was directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal, produced by Nan Sandle, edited by Colin Nusbaum, and photographed by James Fideler.