Frida Orupabo and Instagram as an Art Vessel
Frida Orupabo, is an artist and trained sociologist based in Oslo, her chosen means of expression is collage; both physical and digital. Her work treats subjects of race, violence, family, history, gender and sexuality.
Frida, also known as @nemiepeba on instagram, has achieved what I would describe as the most visually stunning instagram feed I have ever come across. Her work is a never-stale flux of photos that thread together a narrative that takes a history of colonialism and racism and flips it over its head. It asks whoever is looking to challenge their perspective and conventional gaze. She relies on colonial photos, which she dislikes, to explore the vast spectrum of concepts that they contain and the contrast in between them; pain, abuse, hate, and powerlessness on one hand but also strength, fortitude, and resistance. The beauty of her work, to me, is the sense of “freedom” I get when attempting to understand, I never feel like i’m being force fed an opinion but rather guided towards forming my own.
Frida, also known as @nemiepeba, has achieved what I would describe as the most visually stunning instagram feed I have ever come across. Her work is a never-stale flux of photos that thread together a narrative that takes a history of colonialism and racism and flips it over its head. It asks whoever is looking to challenge their perspective and conventional gaze. She relies on colonial photos, which she dislikes, to explore the vast spectrum of concepts that they contain and the contrast in between them; pain, abuse, hate, and powerlessness on one hand but also strength, fortitude, and resistance. The beauty of her work, to me, is the sense of “freedom” I get when attempting to understand, I never feel like i’m being force fed an opinion but rather guided towards forming my own.
Her archive spans thousands of photos/collages that seek to explore the layered nuances of the black experience but isn’t limited to it. She seeks to tone down the hyper-sexuality that has been attached to the black woman's body and the contrast that has been cast on the colour “black” while “white” is considered neutral. Some of her pieces strip down the cultural social and historical elements that shape the human experience and portray humans as, simply, that - which can be refreshing at times.
What I appreciate most about her work is that I don’t understand right away. The multiple layers force me to think, linking numerous works trying to uncover the underlying narrative. This is a challenge I have often faced in art galleries exclusively apart from a few other examples. She managed to elevate the Instagram experience to that of a poignant art show; not that other artists haven’t attempted to achieve a similar effect but not on this level, but I digress.
Her archive spans a couple of years and I encourage you to to enjoy it FRIDA ORUPABO
Here's a small sample:
