Oyinda "Yin" Itabiyi - A tribute to home
Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to direct photographs of my fellow artist and family friend Oyinda "Yin" Itabiyi.
Yin is a second-generation American of Nigerian heritage. Accomplished film director turned artist manager, Yin uses her varied talents to reach all corners of the creative space, especially those made for and by Africans like herself.
When choosing what to showcase for this collection, I looked to the symbolism of Yin’s connection to Nigeria as inspiration and motivation. To that aim, this shoot teases out the juxtaposition between Yin’s identities as a "native Nigerian woman" and a "second-generation American African creative." As we explored these identities for their contrasts, we also discover the fruits of their interplay: the creation of the irreplaceable Yin we know and love.
Ultimately, these photos are meant to complement the release of Yin’s upcoming film “Ida Shoots Her Shot.” Through the release, we hope to illuminate Yin’s audience about the person behind the camera.
Nigerian Identity - This Set is actually Yin's Childhood home where we both spend a lot of time at when we were growing up
Second-Gen African Creative - For this set we wanted to put the creative identity in its most comfortable setting
Mixed Identity - The styling for this set mimics an outfit worn by the main character “Ida” from her film "Ida shoots her shot" , and is paired with a traditional African garment bag, and head wrap.
Two of the photos we took from the shoot made it to Photo Vogue
Thank you
Direction: Temi Mafe
Photographer: Amy Diep
Stylist: Oliva Spitz
MUA: Ekaette Umana