Diary of a FOB (Fresh-Off-the-Boat) is the collection of photos by Penn senior and West African native Owusu Akoto after four years of traveling throughout the world. The exhibit chronicles Akoto's adjustment to American, and specifically Philadelphian, culture through self-portraiture and urban perspectives. Photographs also depict Danish festivals, Ghanaian dancers and Iraqi War protesters. The images range from provocative, to comedic , to infuriating, to poignant, while a strain of political awareness sustains the collection.
Consistent with the title of the exhibit, several of the photos suggest the cultural displacement one feels upon arrival in a different country. "Searching" is a self-portrait that features the artist in the traditional Ghanaian dress Akan while gazing over the Philadelphia cityscape. "Ruminations of a Freshman" is a shadowy aerial shot of the artist sitting outside and staring defiantly at the camera. Both images illustrate the artist's attempt to reconcile his African background with his new environment.
Cultural commentary is a persistent theme in Akoto's work --one that he applies to several pieces with skillful nuance. "Two Toasts to Art" pits an enormous Bombay Sapphire ad against errant graffiti in Manhattan. The ad looms above the marginalized urban art, intimating the importance of corporate marketing strategy over a misunderstood artform. "Solice" is the solemn view from the dungeon in the Cape Coast, a Ghanan castle where slaves were held during the transatlantic slave trade. A meager white light pushes through the darkness, while the caption describes the somber conditions of the space.
Akoto seamlessly incorporates amusing images and captions among the political and introspective photos. Akoto dangles from the rafters in the Palestra in "Hanging Out." Below the image of an untitled photo of several kids playing soccer the caption reads, "Soccer is the unofficial religion of Ghana." "Welcome to Philly" accurately encapsulates the Philadelphian attitude in single image of a license plate that reads, "Get In, Shut Up, Hold On."
Diary of a FOB blends many experiences into an exhibit that evokes various emotions through the juxtaposition of distinct cultural imagery. The photos present the world through a unique perspective -- which makes the exhibit one not to be missed.
