Why is the truth so controversial? We know there are three sides to every story but the truth is the side we all should want to be on. Yagazie Emezi understands what the truth is and does not ever mince her words. She professes her truth with a fearless honesty that is hard to challenge because it is uniquely her own. Yagezie Emezi is the Visual Curator of her own website that has a goal of preserving African culture through photography. On her YouTube channel, Yagazie touches on poignant subject matter that is both frank and humorous. Yagazie is definitely one of those personalities that you want to know more about.
We appreciate the opportunity to interview such a vibrant force of nature. Enjoy the brief but revealing interview below …
“The images that they take now will be a window into the past in the years to come …”
Please tell us a little about yourself – your childhood, siblings, where you grew up, what you liked as a child, strange thoughts as a child/now, unique attributes, where you live now, etc.?
I was born and raised in Aba along with my older brother and sister. It’s a bit tricky to personally point out unique or strange attributes I may have had as a child and may have now. It’s best left to others. I remember that I was a very happy, but a bit shy as a child. I spent a lot of time outdoors playing with flowers and plucking fruit. I’ve been living in Lagos (Nigeria) now for the last 8 months and so far so good.
You have a very profound mission with your website (www.yagazieemezi.com), could you please tell us how you came about this mission?
I studied Cultural Anthropology and African Studies in school and I’ve always been interested in cultural preservation within African communities. Personally, I find that photography is among the many efficient ways to preserve a memory, a moment, history……. So I set off to find African photographers who, be it intentional or not, are recording African history through their photography. The images that they take now will be a window into the past in the years to come.
Your YouTube channel touches on a lot of human and very thought provoking subjects, which one of your episodes has gotten the most polarizing response?
I made a video a few years back called “I Won’t Cook For You” (see below) and that got the most hits. I suppose a woman saying that she’s not obligated to cook for anyone is a shocker.
