Windows to the Soul: Photographs Celebrating African Women [Hardcover]

A. Olusegun Fayemi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0971507627 | ISBN-13: 978-0971507623 | Publication Date: October 15, 2003

A book of photographs that expores and documents the realities of the lives of women from Africa south of the Sahara. Divided into seven sections, (Motherhood, Home, Work, Markets, Celebration, Elderhood and Beauty and Elegance), the reader is treated to a profusion of 175 outstanding and magnificen images complemented by an anthology of creative, inspiring and thoughtful poems by 15 contributors, mostly women, that capture the essence, humanity and "wholeness and wholesomeness" of African women

Editorial Reviews

Review

..awe-inspiring book, a photographic labor of love.. much needed text on African women. A perfect coffee-table book -- Molara Ogundipe, Professor of Englisth, Univ of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

No one can ignore the sheer delight of the collection .. a narrative of the many faces of African female culture -- Tuzyline Jita Allan, Professor of English, Baruch College, New York, NY

About the Author

Born and raised in Nigeria, Olusegun Fayemi studied photography privately and with Alex Harsely and Richard Sternschuss of New York, at the New School for Social Research (now New School University) and the International Center for Photography, New York, and Zone VI studios, Newfane, Vermont. For the last 22 years he has concentrated his energies on social documentary photography of continental Africans and Africans in the diaspora, a project that has taken him to 16 African countries south of the Sahara and Egypt, Haiti, Jamaica and Dominica. His photographs have been published in many books, journals, magazines and newspapers, have been exhibited widely in the United States and Nigeria, and are to be found in many public and private collections. He is the author of two successful and widely acclaimed books: "Balancing Acts: photographs from West Africa" (Sungai, Princeton, 1995) and "Voices From Within: photographs of African children" (Albofa Press, New York, 1999).

When not making photographs, he practices Medicine as a pathologist and Director of Laboratories at St Mary Hospital, Hoboken, New Jersey.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 193 pages
• Publisher: Albofa Press (October 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971507627
• ISBN-13: 978-0971507623
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,639,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Close-up and Personal with the Women of Africa, April 11, 2005

By 

Brigid Cahalan "Librarian" (New York, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Windows to the Soul: Photographs Celebrating African Women (Hardcover)

Alfred Fayemi's love for his subject is evident in this collection of large-format, clear images of women from a dozen African countries. They come to life in these photos--working, singing, dancing, caring for children, laughing, chatting, praying, and just being themselves. We seem to hear their voices as well; Fayemi uses poetry from African women to open each of the seven sections of the book. Someone recently examining this book at my house remarked that "black and white photographs are the best". I agree--these duotone photos capture the essence of their subjects in a timeless fashion; color would only distract the reader. You will love the little touches such as the tiny map of Africa on each page with a dot to tell you where the country of that photograph is. This photographer is determined that we will not only enjoy, but will learn from, his books!

Also, see Fayemi's previous works, Balancing Acts: Photographs from West Africa and Voices from Within: Photographs of African Children, for equally excellent treatments of their subjects.