OkayAfrica – Between Nostalgia & Dreams, the latest exhibition by Ethiopian American photographer Yusuf Ahmed is ongoing at The Africa Center at Aliko Dangote Hall in New York City. This deeply personal and evocative collection explores the objects that immigrants hold onto as artifacts that tether them to their histories, identities, and the places they’ve left behind.
“For Black, brown, and queer individuals shaped by migration and diaspora, these objects transcend nostalgia,” Ahmed explained to OkayAfrica. “They open up new ways of thinking about home, memory, and place.” His portraits span multiple continents and generations and illuminate the significance of physical keepsakes in preserving cultural and personal identity.