Habeebah is a 16-year-old teenager who immigrated to Canada with her family from Nigeria in 2018. She is planning to begin studying biomedical engineering at a university in 2026. She is grateful for her family’s support through the hardships she has experienced over the past years.
Losing Myself
Artwork Description
For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with cultural dissonance due to not being able to properly speak my native language, Yoruba. I tried to learn from other people speaking but it always ended up sounding weird, so I decided to stop trying. When I immigrated from Nigeria to Canada with my family, I felt happy to not have to put myself in those kind of uncomfortable situations anymore. However, the more time I spend in Canada speaking English, the less I can speak Yoruba, if I tried. As shown in the painting, Canada is pushing the Nigerian flag out of frame and parts of myself leave with it. It is important to me since cultural dissonance has been a part of my life for a long time and has become part of my identity, in a way.
Habeebah’s Why
I was inspired by seeing puzzle pieces when coming up with my rough draft and how it perfectly fit my situation. Cultural dissonance is having a sense of unease when in a new cultural environment. Although I have only changed my environment once, the effects on my identity have been everlasting.
Voice from the Artist
“Topics such as cultural dissonance and mental health stigma has no age limit. They can affect an individual of any background and age. It is beneficial to give them a safe space to share their thoughts and experiences without judgement or expectations.”
