29/07/2023
Shimbe Avalumun Queen
Medium: Pencil on paper
Size: 59 x 51.5 cm
Year: 2023
Albinism (Albino) is a rare genetic condition which affects the production of melanin in people, plants and animals. Different types of albinism are caused by various gene mutations.
My model in this project goes by the name of Shimbe Avalumun Queen.
She is from Benue State, Nigeria studying Sociology at Benue State University 400 level.
Shimbe struggled with albinism growing up. She was bullied as a child and it got progressively worse later in her teenage years, leaving her feeling depressed at some points.
I had a video call with Shimbe the first time we met. In that call she mentioned these difficulties she faced growing up. Fortunately, one of her friends enlightened her about albinism. Telling her that "it is not a curse, it's just lack of melanin pigmentation" and that she should not feel bad when people laugh, but rather to focus on bringing out the best in herself so that others can see the beauty in albinism.
Due to melanin being involved in our optical nerve development, Shimbe was also laughed at for being shortsighted and having to read books very close up to her face. In spite of all of this, Shimbe highly excelled in her exams beyond her peers that would laugh at her shortcomings. This gave her the courage to persevere through and stand up to people who would make negative comments about her vision.
As an artist who specialises in portraiture, this particular project meant a lot to me. From being a child who was abundantly curious about people with albinism, to being blessed with the opportunity to draw someone who has it and shed light and awareness on the condition.
