Adaeze Ihebom

A self-portrait in reference to Olympia by Édouard Manet, where I am both the photographer and the muse.

Manet’s Olympia is striking in the way it presents a female figure seemingly in control of her own body. While the painting is considered revolutionary in its depiction of the female form and agency, it does not fully embody female empowerment. The Black woman in the painting exists only as a servant, reflecting the colonial realities of 19th century France, where Black individuals were often enslaved or placed in subservient roles.

In my reinterpretation, I engage with the male and Western gaze and how women, particularly Black women, have historically been portrayed in art. Through this work, I reclaim that narrative, positioning myself as both subject and storyteller.