Right Fist: Tolu Coker
The right fist is a symbol of power that has long been associated with notions of Black resistance. Yet, black resistance and the identities that surround it are often rooted in narratives which centre navigating Whiteness/ ‘Westerness’, creating a monolithic perspective of a ‘Black Experience’.
‘Owo Otun’ explores the power and significance of the right fist, through the reclamation of cultural narratives across Africa and the Diaspora. The aim is to give the many different, rich and powerful cultures which exist across this vast expanse the dignity of difference.
Looking at the right fist as a symbol of preservation, ritual, communication and respect, Owo Otun depicts through a montage of archival and present day footage, significant intergenerational and cross-continental traditions and subcultures, that explore ‘Blackness’ through a lens of dignity .
The right fist is a symbol of power that has long been associated with notions of Black resistance. Yet, black resistance and the identities that surround it are often rooted in narratives which centre navigating Whiteness/ ‘Westerness’, creating a monolithic perspective of a ‘Black Experience’.