What inspired your latest piece?
AMY- Initially, my latest piece "So long a life" was inspired by the emphasis placed on marriage, particularly for women, in Senegalese culture. It's so constantly talked about as girls grow up that it almost feels like it's the ultimate step in becoming a woman. So, I wanted to make a piece that highlighted the diversity in experiences that make up a woman's life. But it ended up being inspired by a lot more, the amazing women in my life, and that I've grown up looking up to, the women that answered a research survey that I made and sent out! I wanted it to be a celebration of girl and womanhood. The title is inspired by Mariama Ba's "So long a letter".
What's your favorite work so far?
AMY- I think that my favorite work is my series "Ma la raw", which presents a young, unmarried couple in Dakar. I made this series to showcase love within a culture that is pretty reserved on the matter. It was inspired by "In the Mood for Love" by Wong Kar Wai, and especially Wing Shya's photos on set. This work means a lot to me because I loved the result and felt that it really expressed the different messages and ambiguities that I was trying to bring up about love in Senegal. It also seemed to resonate with a lot of people, and the feedback and comments that I got on it were so much more than what I was hoping for. I just love when my work hits the people concerned in the way that I wanted it to, and this one really did!! Also getting Wing's approval made it all the better!!!
Can you describe your creative process?
AMY- To be honest, each of my projects have kind of undergone a different process. "Awaken,My Love" came about through a spontaneous Spring walk because I wasn't convinced by the initial location I had chosen. "Ma la raw" was through a film's aesthetic, themes and motifs that I thought could be applicable to a Senegalese context, and "So long a life" is a product of months of research during my master's. I write a lot during my process. A lot of my photos start with written notes or keywords that try to translate a somewhat clear image of what I want in my head. My biggest inspiration is Dakar though, sometimes ideas come from specific locations that I see while I'm there, the popular art or even just the iconography that makes up the city.
