Aisha Mohamed’s Enchanting Portraits Celebrate The Beauty Of Black Women

Through digital art, Aisha Mohamed creates rich portraits of black women placed among ethereal, starry backdrops that highlight the elegance of blackness. As part of her new I Am Not My Hair series, the South London-based artist is showcasing the beauty of baldness in black women, which sends out an empowering message about self-love in black culture.

In the three-part series, Mohamed features portraits of Ataui Deng, Danai Gurira, and Aweng Chuol. In them, we are captivated by the richness of their sparkling black skin against gentle backdrops of constellations that enhance the magic. In a conversation with OkayAfrica, Mohamed explained what inspired her to create the series. “I did a piece a few months ago showcasing the versatility of black hair, which was really fun, but I wanted to flip it somehow,” she said. “Our hair can be a very integral part of our culture and history, but I think a lot of the time people think black hair is part of our identity—at the end of the day, it’s just hair and I wanted to reflect that in some way. My hair isn’t the most important part of me.”

Perhaps best known for her striking reimagined Van Gogh floral paintings with famous black women, the 22-year-old artist has been a rising voice for creatively displaying just how magical and versatile black women are. Growing up, Mohamed always loved art, but she had trouble connecting to it due to the lack of representation. “I couldn’t help but notice that I never saw myself reflected in any of my favourite pieces. It was an isolating feeling. In a way, this piece was about reclaiming this very white space and saying, ‘We’re here and we’re beautiful,” she told Buzzfeed, referring to her Van Gogh series. In the digital paintings, women such as Zoe Kravitz and Alek Wek stand tall and majestic, elaborated with Van Gogh-style floral abstractions. By embracing black women of all shades in her work, Mohamed is affirming that young black girls everywhere can see themselves represented in the arts.

With the recent outpouring of support for her artwork, Mohamed is determined to continue showing black women in a positive light through innovative means. To learn more about Mohamed, connect with her on Instagram or Twitter.