reflexions | xy & phlo

When you see these photos, some people may say that we are beautiful, some may disagree. Some may say: “Her hair better than hers. Her form tighter than hers. Her lips larger than hers. Her body stronger than hers.” 

But see, my sister and I have been doing this all of our lives. “You blacker than me. Your skin lighter than me. Your eyes brighter than me. You speak whiter than me.” The hardest part about being a sister is letting go of comparison. Our sameness is our blood. Our differences make us whole. 

This is reflexions. An ongoing collaborative self-portrait series that seeks to examine the meaning of sisterhood through photography and poetry. This first collection, ‘xy + phlo’, illustrates how sisters shape each other, their identities, experiences and sense of self. It is an ode to our relationship as sisters and as women of color – encapsulating the beauty and complexities, the parallels and entanglements that we face through familial, spiritual and ancestral ties.