Curated By Nicolette Alexandra Brito-Cruz
Letters of the Unheard is a literary and visual photography project where models pour their hearts into heartfelt letters to their past selves, recounting their path of growth and embracing their identities. The transformative photoshoots capture the raw, emotional moments described in their letters, inviting you to witness the incredible power of self-reflection and self-love.
Nine models from diverse regions of the world have contributed to bringing this project to life, generously sharing their personal stories with us and with you. Delve into the captivating narratives of these nine creative and captivating individuals.
Model 1 – Taleha Whyte, Jamaican.
Leaving my country of birth at two years old was what I perceived as one of the only experiences that connected me to both of my parental roots while being raised by a single mother in a post-colonial power country. Leaving Jamaica is my origin story not because it was the country I was born in, but because I unconsciously excluded it from my identity growing up. Assimilating into the American culture often forces first-generation children like me to embrace a history/ culture non-congruent to that which we are. Consequently, I ended up adapting an identity that was embarrassed to embrace my tribal culture and ancestral history. In more relatable terms I became a replica of the oppressing powers placed upon my country and people. Pulling from my indigenous background when would enhance the hyper-individualistic culture of America that was instilled in me.
Redirecting my life to Rome Italy to attend John Cabot changed my entire perspective on embracing my Jamaican background. Now, not only am I surrounded by global students from over seventy different countries, but we get to work collectively harnessing our individual experiences to better understand one another. While this may be perceived as normal or expected by most for someone like me it’s a miracle. Once leaving the United States the contradictions about assimilation and the distinctions surrounding our perception were so evident, that it acted as a catalyst to appreciate and embrace my Caribbean culture.
Reclaiming my culture also acted as a catalyst for my creative journey as well, being that John Cabot is a liberal Arts university and Rome is also a post-colonial power country. The irony of leaving one colonial country only to reclaim my indigenous identity in another led to several painful self-reflective moments. Pain which I have now transmuted into power, public speaking, and progress for both me and my people.
Discover more about Taleha Whyte here
Model 2 – Janane Ashraf Saad Hassaan, Egyptian.
Long Live the Egyptian Woman
Ya baba,
I could address this to the white boy who doesn’t like political art
I could address this to the white lady who wants to liberate us with bikinis
I address it instead to you, daughter, sister – woman.
Do you know where you come from?
Do you know who you come from?
They teach you about Elizabeth and Napoleon,
They teach you, maybe even, about Cleopatra,
But do you know?
Do you know Hoda Shaarawi and Doria Shafik?
Do you know, simply, the stories of your grandmother?
Do you know the peace of sipping on shay bel ne3ne3,
and closing your eyes to the voice of Um Kulthoum?
They claim you are oppressed for the lack of skin they can lay their eyes on,
but call you savage when you dance in the ways most natural to you.
They say, sorceress, because they cannot fathom a body so free.
Do you know Samia Gamal and Shafiqa Al Qibtiyya?
You need not look far to find your power,
The blood of yours runs through our soil, as the Nile runs through your veins.
Ya amar, you are magic, you are liberty personified.
Do you know lady liberty? The Falah7a.
Discover more about Janane Ashraf Saad Hassaan here
Model 3 – Skyla Bigale Priya Shangazi Ntsikilelo Margo Katenga, Malawian and South African.
Warm Heart of Africa to the World
Liberating. Welcoming. Enlightening. Peaceful.
These are words that I associate with being a citizen of the world. It means that I create a home and a safe space within myself, without the fear of being rejected and neglected.
There is a certain intimacy and tenderness that comes with recognizing your inability to be confined to a certain place and your ability to adapt.
Instead of being depressing, embarrassing, and isolating, it allows me to be versatile and exposed, to take space without infringing on others. Citizen of the World is about creating opportunities for me to learn about other cultures, but also share my roots.
It means I get to wear my roots on my sleeves, while I interact with places that are not my own. Creating opportunities for chintejes, Chichewa, and I Skyla Shangazi Bigale Priya Nstikilelo Geneva Margo Katenga to be welcomed and at home no matter where I go.
Discover more about Skyla Bigale Priya Shangazi Ntsikilelo Margo Katenga here
Model 4 – Natasha Kalondu Kisila, Kenyan.
This white world will never love me
This white world will never love me
This white world will never love me, for simply existing.
I must sit and allow a white men dictate what I “should” be. Catering to each of them.
My hair is too short, he swiftly swayed his hand to reference what a woman’s hair should look like.
A small brunette woman, loose curls, past her shoulders.
Now, how do I help this situation?
This body I was born into, one that I have grown to love.
Nothing about who I am has the power to trigger insecurity.
So we stare at one another, he finally remembers he’s in the middle of providing a service. But that’s only after he has made sure everyone in the vicinity has heard his criticism, he got some laughs.
I was the loudest; I just wanted it to be over.
The same sentiment rises as my mother and I stand hand-in-hand at an Italian airport.
They must exude their power over you, they must let you know that they have the ability you dictate the quality of your travel.
Or if you will travel at all.
We hold up the line as the lady behind the counter cross-checks our names at least five times.
And, realising she is far from satisfied, she calls her manager to mimic her action for another five minutes.
Five families have walked in, all five have gone through. Yet, there we stand.
We wait for the white society to get tired of berating. Like a tank towering over us, we have to open the faucet and let their urge to discriminate drain out at whatever pace suits them.
And still, I would choose this life. My hair, my body and this space. I would choose it over and over again cause I know I’m as much of a human and a woman as you.
Discover more about Natasha Kalondu Kisila here
Model 5 – Mimi Dameu, Haitian.
Weightless Love
Amidst the whispered secrets of shadows, a soul grapples with weighty whispers, unseen but felt. The mirror reflects a form, yet what lies beneath the skin is a landscape of doubt, a symphony of questions that dance like leaves in the wind.
In dim-lit corners of the mind, insecurities coil like vines, tightening their grip with each fleeting glance. The tape measure becomes a judge, and the scale a jury, rendering verdicts in numbers that cut deeper than any blade.
But pause, for within this struggle blooms a truth obscured by doubt’s haze. The weight of worth transcends scales and measurements, anchored not in pounds, but in the strength of spirit. Imperfections etch tales of resilience, and the journey, though rocky, is woven with threads of growth.
Embrace the reflection not as foe, but as a canvas where curves and edges, light and shade, merge to create a masterpiece uniquely yours. Peel away the layers of societal expectation, to uncover the raw authenticity that resides within. For the heart is weightless, a vessel of dreams unburdened by the scales of judgment.
Let self-love be the compass that guides through storms of insecurity. Know that beauty exists in every shape and size, and the value within extends far beyond what eyes can see. So stand tall, dear soul, for your worth is immeasurable, your journey a tapestry woven with grace.
Discover more about Mimi Dameu here
Model 6 – Rachel D. Perez, Afro-Cuban.
“Dear Pelo Malo”
And to think you had to man-craft your own treasures,
And to think you had to design that headdress on your head.
And to think you named yourself royalty as you placed it on your head.
I pity you…
I pity you as you see god’s perfect creation.
I pity you
As you experience the presence of a real crown
On my head,
Divinely made,
each strain of my hair
Hairstyle you call it…
shamelessly negating my divinely royal heritage.
And to think you made me bowed for a metal,
You made me destroy mine because it was a threat to you,
To your made up prestige.
I pity you!
I pity you as you experience my divinely royal presence
I pity you as you witness my crown’s magic
Magic that claims space, admiration,
Devotion, condition, oils, love.
Respect
And to think I am the reminder of your failures
And to think
the divinely royal crown on my head is.
Discover more about Rachel D. Perez here
Model 7 – Selima Ann Ben Rhouma, Tunisian (born and raised)/American.
Jack of all trades, master of none.
I truly don’t know how to describe me in a short paragraph
because I’m much more yet nothing all at once. I could write about growing up in Tunisia and being half American. But my identity only begins there.
Never knowing who I fully am, I’ve accepted that I do not know anything at all. So, Ive always thrown myself into imaginary worlds. My garden Fairies, beach mermaids, magical pencils; Never a second of curiosity missed or left unsought. What mystical wonder I had for fairies evolved to the people I meet, the energies I receive and the physical world I can recreate (art). I’ve never fit in a specific category, so I delved in all of them, art, music, sports.
In my twenties, far from home, in-between multiple worlds, and versions of my self, I find comfort in being a jack of all trades, master of none.
I the American in Tunisia, and the Tunisian in America, I sima (childhood nickname) as I confront the adult world, always carry my curious inner child with me. Never knowing who I fully am, I’ve accepted that I am everything all at once.
Discover more about Selima Ann Ben Rhouma on Instagram, You can also find her here.
Model 8 – Salem Girum Fantu, Eritrean and Ethiopian.
“ኢትዮ-ኤርትራ”
Being raised in two different cultures has greatly influenced my identity and the person I am today. I identify as both Eritrean and Ethiopian, even though I was born and raised in Ethiopia, My grandparents on my mother’s side always made sure that our little household always preserved the warm Eritrean culture.
There have been times of unity, separation, war, and reconciliation in Ethiopia and Eritrea’s complicated relationship. However, in the midst of this complexity, individuals like me who identify as both Ethiopian and Eritrean navigate a unique cultural terrain that reflects the shared history of these two countries. To be able to embrace this dual identity, one must strive for the qualities of peace, understanding, and respect for one another while also appreciating and respecting the rich historical and cultural legacies of both Ethiopian and Eritrean people.
Moreover, human thought should not be influenced by conflicts, and should not feel compelled to choose a side in them. When you accept and value yourself for who you are, it is very easy to accept and value people for who they are. This made it very simple for me to accept my two identities as an Eritrean and an Ethiopian girl. In spite of the political tensions these nations confront, I am proud of the person I have become and grateful to my family for teaching me to value and respect my cultures from both nations.
Discover more about Salem Girum Fantu here
Model 9 – Angela Koh, South Korean.
Limitless
I am more than
blindly following to fit in.
The beauty standard
traumatizing, criticizing, punishing myself for being.
How can I help succumbing to these unwritten rules?
She is a young girl with a soul of fire and heart of Achilles
Femme.
Because I am my biggest enemy and biggest supporter as well
Only striving for greatness, to be the best version of Her.
A double-edged sword
But time heals. Choosing Love heals.
Love.
Straying from environments that do not serve me.
Absorbing different perspectives.
Choosing people who choose me.
Gratitude.
Learning to accept who I am, who I was, and who I will become.
Staying curious.
Growing forever.
Relentlessly Believing.
Expressing myself through art – art is life, life is art.
I am a Mosaic of beauty, meaning people, experiences, cultures, identities…
I am a light – I am more than!
I am a miracle, and we are all miracles.
Find out more about Angela Koh here
THE END!!!
This project was curated by Ezekiel Sofiane, follow them here on Instagram
And photographed by the creative Nicolette Alexandra Brito-Cruz, Click here to follow them on Instagram.