Mustapha (2019)
It is an ongoing project about Mustapha Jinadu, a Nigerian-American Artist and Poet based in Staten Island, New York, and his journey toward rebuilding his life after years of substance abuse, battling Depression, Anxiety, anger, frustration, and Paranoia.
Mustapha was born in 1974 to a Nigerian Father and an American Mother. He spent the first 17 years of his life in Lagos, Nigeria before moving to the USA where he has lived ever since.
He said his problem started when he was 33 years old and had his son Mehmet, in an attempt to deal with the immense societal pressures and responsibility that came with Fatherhood, he had to resort to Alcoholism and other substance abuse to help him cope with this new reality. After being in and out of jobs and being separated from his wife, He struggles to keep what is left and tries to rebuild his relationship with his son, Mehmet, by trying to be present in his life.
As this is an ongoing project, I will be reflecting on my own past of not having a present father and his own reality of trying to be one.
