Woman Go No'Gree

In Woman Go No’Gree, Gloria Oyarzabal asks, “Can we assume social relations in all societies are organized around biological sexual differences?” Oyarzabal tackles this question by exploring colonialism and white feminism in West Africa through the use of found imagery, archives, and her own photography. Inspired by the texts of Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí and Ifi Amadiume, Oyarzabel raises questions about the effects of the Western framework of gender and feminism, but not without addressing her own whiteness and privilege—implicating herself in bold green text on the front cover. “What is striking about the declaration on the cover is an acknowledgment of her whiteness, privilege, and mental colonization,” notes Susan Meiselas. “She dares to draw together archival imagery with a contemporary eye, leaving us with layers to unpeel and codes to decipher via extended captions.” In this beautifully and thoughtfully crafted book, Oyarzabel challenges the viewer to engage with their own biases and assumptions.