I Always Face You, Even When it Seems Otherwise
Njideka Akunyili Crosby
by Nzinga Simmons, Tina Dunkley Fellow in American Art @ PAFA, 2018: "In Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s two-panel painting, I Always Face You, Even When It Seems Otherwise (2012), acrylic paint, pastel, charcoal, and photographs merge together to explore ideas of transnationalism and the hybridization of cultures. This painting depicts an intimate moment shared between Crosby and her American-born husband seated at a family table. Upon closer viewing, tiny images are revealed embedded in the composition through an acetone photo transfer process. Within the artist’s multilayered work, she employs a plethora of visual references, gleaning images from Nigerian fashion magazines and family photo albums. By combining the conventions of Western painting traditions with source imagery referencing her African heritage, Crosby’s paintings speak to the complexities of forging a cross-cultural identity in a globalizing 21st century society."
Artist
Date of Birth
(b. 1983)
Date
2012
Medium
Acrylic, pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, collage and Xerox transfers on paper
Dimensions
2 panels, each: 78 x 78 in. (198.12 x 198.12 cm.)
Accession #
2012.29a&b
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Copyright
© artist or artist’s estate
Category
Subject