Somi Nwandu: HER SPACE

Somi Nwandu presents HER SPACE, a solo exhibition in Virtual Reality, showcasing her most recent works. The exhibition opened worldwide on August 21, 2020 at www.thesomieffect.com/vrexhibit. This exhibition and collection explores, through Afrofuturistic expression, the waves of African femininity parallel to a supreme value of human existence in mental, and psychological organization. Her Space layers emotion, craft, sound, and motion to focus on three areas: mental stabilization advancements, the utilization of an African woman’s femininity to personalize Afrofuturism, and electromagnetism as a metaphor. In the midst of a global pandemic, racial unrest, and a swell of voices calling for equity around the world, the young Nigerian-American artist hopes to use her solo virtual reality art experience to give voice to the unique challenges, opportunities, and promise of black, African women in a futuristic world. Her Space, a project of Nwandu’s The Somi Effect, is an online exhibit featuring the visually stunning and groundbreaking work of the award-winning yet emerging visual, contemporary artist who works in various mediums. The Somi Effect is the culmination of Nwandu’s projects journeys, and reflections, shared through multimedia experiences that present the story of the future and the past through the artist’s perspective. Nwandu aims to advance the ways viewers experience African culture and creativity as a whole. She uses the textures of her African heritage to explore her own identity as she attempts to break the negative connotations surrounding mental stability while exploring the double-edged infinitude of one’s self. “I’m a woman trying to explore the nature of human experiences through the advances of technology,” Nwandu said. “I express the desire to hide and be seen while exploring the unique nature of individuality.” Through Afrofuturistic expression, Her Space explores the waves, as a phenomenon and metaphor, of African femininity in tandem with the supreme value of human existence. The lenticular lens pieces in the collection and virtual reality exhibit layer emotion, craft, sound, and motion to focus on three areas: mental stabilization advancements, the utilization of an African woman’s femininity to personalize Afrofuturism, and electromagnetism as a metaphor. Enter Somi Nwandu’s Virtual Reality exhibition Her Space at https://thesomieffect.com/vrexhibit which is currently open until September 20, 2020.