EVANGELINE MENSAH-AGYEKUM

“Rite of Passage” is an ongoing project about the “parentification” of eldest daughters. This first installation, “Rite of Passage: Marker 1 (self-portrait)”, examines my own personal experiences as an eldest daughter with six younger siblings to Ghanaian immigrants. 

In the photo, is myself with my then 16 year old sister, on my back, wrapped in African fabric. We are in my childhood living room set outdoors at night. This photo is a recreation of an instance when parentification took place during my childhood. At the time, I was eight years old rocking my infant sister, the same one pictured, to sleep on my back. I was proud to be helping my family in this way, but in hindsight, I was only a child.

This work aligns with the theme of "The Aesthetics of Care" by firstly acknowledging the invisible labor of eldest daughters taken on within our families. As adults, now looking back at our childhoods and this identity that most of us took on with pride, we can come to a better understanding of this nuanced identity, while navigating womanhood and expanding our sense of self beyond our families. Giving ourselves permission to mourn and heal from a childhood lost by confronting how we were made to take on the role and responsibilities of the third parent.

“Rite of Passage” serves as a deep form of healing for myself and other eldest daughters through reflection, mourning, and acknowledgement. In honoring eldest daughters, and the labor and care that is often overlooked, this project shows appreciation and celebrates the fullness of who we are, beyond what we were asked to carry.