feature: cape town-based art student nicolas van graan and model sanele junior xaba promote self-love with conceptual series

Nicolas Van Graan is a third year graphic design student from Cape Town. The conceptual photo series down below is a collaboration between Van Graan and friend and model Sanele Junior Xaba was developed around the concept of self-love in the face of a society that tells us that are natural existence isn’t good enough. A society that conditions us to second-guess ourselves and shame us for anything considered to be undesirable. “Loving ourselves is probably one of the most difficult things, especially living in a world where as people of colour you have constantly been treated and seen as less, and basically brainwashed into hating ourselves. But we have to learn to be selfish with our love. We have to learn love ourselves in order to be our best selves. Be Great, Be Powerful, Be your best self,” Van Graan tells AFROPUNK.

*Erin White is an Atlanta-based writer and AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.