Origins

Médine Tidou

2022

Culture can be expressed in countless ways—through language, clothing, art, artifacts, food, or beliefs. It manifests in the words we speak, the traditions we uphold, and the symbols we carry. Yet beyond these external expressions, culture can also be deeply personal and shaped by choice. While some aspects are inherited, others are embraced, redefined, or even abandoned over time. It is fluid, evolving with experiences and environments.

Culture is not only expressed but, at times, also suppressed—especially for minorities whose traditions, languages, and identities have been marginalized or erased through assimilation, discrimination, or systemic oppression. For many, cultural expression becomes an act of resistance, a way to reclaim histories and identities that have been silenced. Some are forced to navigate between visibility and invisibility, adapting to dominant norms for survival while holding onto their heritage in private spaces. The ability to choose how and when to express one’s culture is not a privilege everyone has. But for those who can / do, every word spoken in a native tongue, every traditional garment worn, and every meal prepared as their ancestors once did becomes a statement of pride, resilience and survival.

This series dissects the multiple cultural layers embodied by a single person, revealing the diverse identities one can carry. These identities constantly overlap—sometimes expanding to occupy more space in reality, sometimes being suppressed in the name of adaptability. In navigating different environments, individuals make conscious and unconscious choices about which aspects of their identity to express and which to conceal.

Europe is a melting pot of cultures from different origins, but before even coexisting, to what extent do they simply exist? What tools enable us to shift between identities, and how do we carry this legacy through space and time?

The goal of Origins is to create a visual dialogue for and with diasporas. It offers a space free from taboos or social pressures, where individuals can openly express their cultural identities or reflect on the freedoms they have gained—or lost—through their experience of migration. This portrait and conceptual photography project captures individuals in the various ways they culturally identify. 

In each picture, the outline represents the border of the subject’s country of origin (Kenya, Zimbabwe, Saint Lucia, Senegambia), visually mapping the intersection of culture, migration, and identity —mirroring how real-life borders shape who we are and how we navigate spaces. Borders, both visible and invisible, influence cultural expression.

Kenya, Zimbabwe, Gambia, Saint Lucia, Ouganda identities are shown on these portraits.