Her Story

Grace Bukunmi

On why her eyes have to travel.

As an avid traveller, I am fascinated with the sense of freedom that comes from experiencing new places and people. So much so that this wanderlust has become an integral part of who I am as an individual. To genuinely express my soul in my self-portrait, it was imperative to include an element of travel. I chose my friend’s living room in Amsterdam as my backdrop, because to me, that city and the people I’ve gotten to know there encompasses the essence of self-discovery and freedom through exploration.

Compared to a selfie, I believe a self-portrait exposes the inner being while a selfie is a curated portrayal of the outward being. The self-portrait practice, in a way, urges me to be at peace and have patience with myself so I can truly be authentic.

“The self-portrait practice, in a way, urges me to be at peace and have patience with myself so I can truly be authentic.”

Photography came into my life through my sincere appreciation for all things extraordinary. One of those things being fashion. To me, it’s a way of having a full-blown, powerful conversation with others around you without saying a single word. I attempted the route of fashion design in university, and through that process, I found my desire for creating images as oppose to creating garments.

The most profound meaning of my work is to provide others with a vision of the world/themselves that they hadn’t considered before. Although I’m prone to be introverted, I’ve been delightfully discovering that my northern star has been human sincerity and storytelling. I keep travelling to learn more about myself, other cultures and traditions, and to be able to share that knowledge through my work.

Grace Bukunmi is an LA-based photographer and stylist. Follow her @bukunmigrace

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