top of page
No Collections Here
Sort your projects into collections. Click on "Manage Collections" to get started
My Portfolio
The Parade Portfolio
The parade is a celebration of family history. My mother’s side of the family boasts four generations of British Naval service, from my great, great grandfather to my younger brother. My father’s family come from Northern Nigeria, with heritage rooted in both the Hausa and Fulani people of Kano city. I drew my inspiration from naval parades and the Emirs Durbar, exploring my unique mixed race identity through print, colour, and blending sub saharan draping with the structure of British military uniform. The relationship between Britain and Nigeria is complex, and that intricacy lives within me and many mixed race people who struggle to balance the past with their own lived experience. One of my goals with this collection was to honour the reality of history whilst expressing the love, strength and resilience of my family.
Habiba Garba x Labrum x British Library
For this project I decided to explore my own family history through photographs and embroidery. Being half Nigerian and half English I enjoy finding tiny commonalities in such different cultures and building on those in my work. My mother’s side of the family boasts four generations of British Naval service, from my great, great grandfather to my younger brother. My father’s family come from Northern Nigeria, with heritage rooted in both the Hausa and Fulani people of Kano city. When researching my family’s Naval background using the resources at the British Library I stumbled across a farmers smock from Plymouth, where my grandad was stationed for most of his career. The embroidery reminded me so much of the Hausa architecture I’ve grown up admiring from my Dad’s home city of Kano. This project is about small connections across oceans.
bottom of page