Isolating with you, Malichá (2020)
This project—Isolating with You, Malichá—is a visual diary that captures the triumphs and tribulations that my wife (whom I fondly call Malichá) and I endured as a result of our extended self-isolation after our abrupt return from the UK. To date, COVID-19 has taken the lives of over 1 million people globally. In response to the global pandemic, Nigeria, like other countries, went into lockdown, restricting movement and economic activities. With the lockdown came a lot of emotional, mental, and financial stress. But in the mix, we learned and understood each other and grew through the process.
The pandemic brought devastation and a complete shift to people's lifestyles and ways of living. Despite these unprecedented changes, there have also been positive accounts of families growing closer together, the rise in innovation, and a general appreciation for life itself.
The need to find a safe place amid these uncertainties and turmoil is essential to everyone's well-being during such trying times, and what I aimed to capture through the project—allowing viewers to experience inevitable struggles with me and yet find their release in something familiar to them.
