Page 102 - VOL 8
P. 102

Nelly Ating


















             Nelly  Ating  is  a  visual  artist  who  focuses  on  identity,  education,  extremism,  and  migration  questions.  As  a
             documentary artist, her work has been published in local dailies in Nigeria and legacy media such as the BBC
             and CNN. Her photographic work documenting the rise of Boko Haram terrorism between 2014 and 2020 in
             Northeast Nigeria shone a light on the aftermath of violent extremism. Ating has exhibited at galleries and
             photographic  festivals  in  Africa,  Europe,  and  the  US,  as  well  as  judged  photography  competitions  such  as
             African Women in Media (AWiM) and Ugandan Press Photo Awards. She was recently selected to participate in
             the New York University (NYU) Global Artists Convening 2022 to engage in a civic dialogue on art and social
             justice. She is a member of Women Photograph, Black Women Photographers, African Women in Photography,
             the  Journal  Collective,  and  the  African  Database  for  Photojournalists  run  by  the  World  Press  Photo.  She  is
             currently a PhD candidate at Cardiff University. Her research interests include critical human rights activism
             and  advocacy  advances,  African  social  movements,  visual  culture,  contemporary  photography,  and  the
             decolonization of transnational humanitarian visual campaigns.



             Surviving PCOS 4, 2020
             This project examines the impact of COVID-19 on women's reproductive health. The changing nature of moods and constant emotional regulation associated with
             female's  reproductive  health.  During  the  Coronavirus  lockdown  wave  in  March  2020,  I  learnt  I  had  been  suffering  from  Premenstrual  Dysphoric  Disorder  (PMDD).
             Premenstrual dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a condition in which a woman has severe depression symptoms, irritability, and tension before menstruation. According to
             research from Harvard, about 15% of women with PMDD attempt suicide. The loneliness from COVID-19 affected my everyday life; I was dealing with severe anxiety. I
             found solace in distracting myself by seeing my emotions through the images I created. More so, this experience changed how I talked about my body. I began
             documenting the phases of anxiety but with so much kindness, grace, and self-love. When I shared this project online, many women expressed similar symptoms. In those
             moments, I documented myself. I learned how to self-regulate my emotions, continue paying attention to my stress level, and appreciate my body as a force for Mother
             Nature.


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