Ms. Njoroge (2021).

Tribal marks and scarification are ancient practices that originated on the African continent. These marks denote milestones and rites of passage, as well as depicting familial heritage, tribal classification and other complex messages about identity: social, political, religious and sexual. These scars act as imprinted messages on the body – where the skin becomes a surface for autobiography. Toyin Loye considers these ancient processes – as well as changing discourse surrounding aesthetics, beauty and identity. In Loye’s Ripped Portrait series, identity becomes fashion and vice versa, through the act of carving, or otherwise dismantling membranes.

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