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The “Masquerade - Masked Parade” collection paints a theatrical interpretation of James Stewart’s “Psychic Duality of Afro-Americans in the Novels of W. E. B. DuBois”. The premise of the collection rests solely on the concept of Double Consciousness borne from my own childhood.

Double consciousness is present in the works of black writers/artists/thinkers, all over the world, from Chinua Achebe, to Malcolm X. Since “The Scramble for Africa”, slavery and most importantly colonialism, black people all over the world have learnt to coexist as multiple people in 1 person. Having to switch through multiple personalities as they navigate the world.

Growing up in a staunch Catholic household, and being Igbo, being Nigerian, being African was a very eclectic yet unsettling feeling. The combination of the two together did not make any sense to an inquisitive 8-year-old boy but as I stumbled through the dark, I saw guiding lights along the way, in the form of books, art and then music, most importantly Hip-Hop. Immersing myself in Hip-Hop, and African-American culture in general felt like a very comfortable compromise to the conflicting duality of being Catholic and Igbo. Hip-Hop, Rap and Black culture in America introduced me to streetwear and fashion.

This collection is a painting of Double Consciousness on the canvas of streetwear.