From Inkanyiso.– An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman by Abdi Osman
Labeeb is an intimate portrait of Sumaya, a Somali trans-woman.
The project consists of large-scale colour photographs, and a double-projection video. Some of the photographs are studio portraits where Sumaya sat for the artist; others depict Sumaya in her daily life. One video also documents aspects of her daily life, while the other portrays Sumaya performing a Somali ritual usually reserved for women. This practice is one that Somali women undertake when preparing for a special occasion or ceremony. The practice itself is a hybrid: traditional and religious. The double projection is meant to add texture and complexity to Osman’s attempt to engage with questions of gender, sexuality, and culture. The videos speak to the hybrid cultural expressions of Sumaya and other persons like her.
These images place African-born trans-people directly within the traditions of their African/black cultural heritage.
While posing questions concerning gender, culture, and religion, the videos examine how the body can move into new states of being. They are themselves “trans-ing” practices, crossing the traditional with the new all-in-one body. This work pushes back against claims made by some African leaders that there are no African queers in their countries.
Osman’s work puts African/black trans-people on record. It questions how we understand the various roles bodies play or perform, and which bodies or genders are understood to perform them—in particular, assumptions we make about female, black, queer, and trans bodies.
About the photographer, Abdi
Abdi Osman is a Somali-Canadian multidisplinary artist whose work focuses on questions of black masculinity as it intersects with Muslim and queer identities.
Osman’s video and photography work has been shown in Canada and internationally in both group and solo exhibitions. He holds an MFA in Documentary Media from Ryerson University, and B.A. in African Studies from the University of Toronto.
Previous work has been supported by a grant from the Ontario Arts Council. His photographs are also in private collections and the Art Bank of the Canada Council for the Arts. Some of his work was in the year-long group show DiaporaArt: Strategy and Seduction by Canadian Artists from Culturally Diverse Communities at Rideau Hall.
Abdi was a 2010 artist-in-resident at the McColl Centre for Visual Arts in Charlotte North Carolina. Most recently in 2012, he was a fellow at The Interdisciplinary Center for Culture and Creativity (ICCC) at the University of Saskatchewan.
Allison Granted (@AllisonGranted)
An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman http://t.co/BsgLNylXKO
Africa News Link (@AfricaNewsLink)
An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman http://t.co/zAJjw5VUvW
@susanmthomson
RT @RachelStrohm: Moving photo essay about life as a transgender Somali woman: http://t.co/2Npug5Hc5a
@jae_oh
RT @RachelStrohm: Moving photo essay about life as a transgender Somali woman: http://t.co/2Npug5Hc5a
@nothingtosay22
RT @RachelStrohm: Moving photo essay about life as a transgender Somali woman: http://t.co/2Npug5Hc5a
simon INOU (@simoninou)
An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-Woman like #Sumaya – #Somalia #lgbt http://t.co/EyfhaThh6q
2fishhead (@2fishhead)
RT @AfricaNewsLink: An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman http://t.co/zAJjw5VUvW
@NWatd
An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman http://t.co/dtmCR01Qk9
@fuzzlaw
RT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya. An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman by Abdi Osman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/MkP8d13pgK
@JacqieJaguar
RT @GLOVDC: MT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya YSL. Well-written background & interview of Somalian trans-woman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/lc7o1…
@wewatchwatchers
RT @GLOVDC: MT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya YSL. Well-written background & interview of Somalian trans-woman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/lc7o1…
@UwokwaMugabo
RT @GLOVDC: MT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya YSL. Well-written background & interview of Somalian trans-woman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/lc7o1…
@hystericalblkns
RT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya. An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman by Abdi Osman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/MkP8d13pgK
@sweetabyssinian
RT @krennylavitz: RIP Sumaya YSL, Somali-TransWoman murdered in Toronto. http://t.co/otWI1zfh4P #BlackTransLivesMatter
@kariima_ali
RT @krennylavitz: RIP Sumaya YSL, Somali-TransWoman murdered in Toronto. http://t.co/otWI1zfh4P #BlackTransLivesMatter
@MiMiLaChine
a somali transgender ..? erm ..
http://t.co/IrXKnEcLnJ
@dangerousqirl
RT @krennylavitz: RIP Sumaya YSL, Somali-TransWoman murdered in Toronto. http://t.co/otWI1zfh4P #BlackTransLivesMatter
@erika_standeven
RT @krennylavitz: RIP Sumaya YSL, Somali-TransWoman murdered in Toronto. http://t.co/otWI1zfh4P #BlackTransLivesMatter
@kayypea
RT @GLOVDC: MT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya YSL. Well-written background & interview of Somalian trans-woman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/lc7o1…
@Anasemia
RT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya. An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman by Abdi Osman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/MkP8d13pgK
@mohxmmedali
RT @krennylavitz: RIP Sumaya YSL, Somali-TransWoman murdered in Toronto. http://t.co/otWI1zfh4P #BlackTransLivesMatter
@HodanTV
RT @MsAfrakomah: Just hearing about the murder of another Black Trans woman. Let’s all do better. #JusticeforSumayaYsl http://t.co/zIcKNwub…
@iaafrikan
RT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya. An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman by Abdi Osman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/MkP8d13pgK
@MoeyMalone
“@krennylavitz: RIP Sumaya YSL, Somali-TransWoman murdered in Toronto. http://t.co/ql9DEFK9cH #BlackTransLivesMatter” skrrrr
@Chuk_Smoov
RT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya. An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman by Abdi Osman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/MkP8d13pgK
@Fangazi
RT @krennylavitz: RIP Sumaya YSL, Somali-TransWoman murdered in Toronto. http://t.co/otWI1zfh4P #BlackTransLivesMatter
@Rebeccagomez
RT @lxzyfemme: TW: Somali trans woman Sumaya killed in Toronto http://t.co/LDEa3vxpl6 #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t.co/8oXZZYo7uq
@princessirI
RT @lxzyfemme: TW: Somali trans woman Sumaya killed in Toronto http://t.co/LDEa3vxpl6 #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t.co/8oXZZYo7uq
@Kernifer
RT @lxzyfemme: TW: Somali trans woman Sumaya killed in Toronto http://t.co/LDEa3vxpl6 #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t.co/8oXZZYo7uq
@_neelofer
RT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya. An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman by Abdi Osman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/MkP8d13pgK
@erumnazk
RT @wewatchwatchers: Sumaya. An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman by Abdi Osman [@blackfagnorth] http://t.co/MkP8d13pgK
@whisperedsecret
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@ssesquire
RT @krennylavitz: RIP Sumaya YSL, Somali-TransWoman murdered in Toronto. http://t.co/otWI1zfh4P #BlackTransLivesMatter
@Bex7t6
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@audaciousmith
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@ersrose
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@uhhuhthem
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@hellresidentNY
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@myadriene
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@CorsairQueen
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@idlingbitch
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@Efa_Twm
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@SusanLKane
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@ItsTaylorRaye
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@MissAmirah_
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@elle_v__
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@ConnorMaiato
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@toast91
RT @qmwgnyc: #JusticeForSumayaYsl, Somali trans woman killed in Toronto http://t.co/0OL7eiCeFN v @lxzyfemme #BlackTransLivesMatter http://t…
@Transmuseplanet
An intimate portrait of Somalian trans-woman https://t.co/x21k6XNNqe
@MuzzleMad
RT @krennylavitz: RIP Sumaya YSL, Somali-TransWoman murdered in Toronto. http://t.co/otWI1zfh4P #BlackTransLivesMatter