For Creative Mirian Njoh, Identity is Not Limited to Just Her Albinism
In Art in Self, we speak to five creators whose art take the forefront of their self-expression. For West African multi-hyphenate Mirian Njoh, the more interesting parts of her identity are the ones that she's chosen.
West African multi-hyphenate Mirian Njoh is no stranger to expressing herself. After graduating from Ryerson University’s School of Fashion, Njoh now dabbles in styling, photography, modelling, and content creation for her own social media pages.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always explored different ways to embrace and express my creativity,” she says. “As a kid, I did a lot of illustrations and paintings, and was an avid writer. I also made music, began sewing, and started learning ceramics, graphic design, and photography.” These creative outlets, which were encouraged by her family, have influenced the talents and skills that Njoh has honed.
“I would get art supplies or musical instruments as gifts because my family knew that’s what I was interested in,” Njoh shares when asked about her upbringing. “I had a unique fashion sense growing up and no one in my family ever tried to extinguish that, which I appreciate. When I started getting better at sewing, my mum got me the sewing machine that I still use to this day. I also went to art schools where I got the opportunity to take more specialised courses and be around talented people who are passionate about their crafts.” Now, as a multitalented creative, Njoh can’t help but thrive in her element.
How did you hone your creative skills to become the very best version of yourself?
While it’s hard for me to do, I’ve tried to narrow my focus to a few different creative areas that I can keep trying to develop and see how I can make them work together on one common path. For instance, I take my background in styling, modelling, photography, and storytelling and use each of these skills to be the best content creator I can be. And so far, that approach has worked for me.
What is your favourite thing to do in your free time?
Music and interior design are a few things I love that aren’t part of my business so they still feel like uncharted areas for escape when I have free time. I like listening to music, singing, and watching shows on interior design or real estate.
Would you say that makeup and fashion are your forms of self-expression?
I’d say they’re both forms of self-expression that I choose often and that I’m known for, but I’m not limited to them. I’ve spent a lot of time studying beauty and fashion so I’m comfortable using the tools and techniques of those spaces to share my ideas and what I’m about.
Have you ever had doubts about your identity or have you always been sure of who you are?
I’ve definitely had doubts – a lot of them. I think anybody who grows up in an environment where they’re not the status quo, majority, or beauty standard questions their identity and I’ve never been any of those things. So growing up, I had a lot of questions.
Tell us about living with albinism. Do you consider this trait to be your identity?
Growing up, having albinism felt isolating at times because I had no one else I could look to as an example. Most of the time, I wasn’t overtly singled out, but there were countless times where I would have a different experience from others because of having albinism – and that would weigh on me.
I don’t consider having albinism to be my identity or any significant part of my identity. I know people are curious so I’m an open book to talk about it, but to me, the more interesting parts of my identity are the ones that I’ve chosen, like the interests I have or the pursuits I’ve followed.
What do you think are some common misconceptions when it comes to the idea of beauty?
That it must always be perfect or that it must look good to everyone. Beauty is not perfect. You can wear full glam one day and wear your acne scars the next day, and that’s okay. Or, you could present yourself in an unconventional way but it can still be beautiful. One thing that’s great about social media is that it challenges these and pretty much every other misconception about beauty to the point where it sometimes kind of feels like anything goes and there’s space for everyone to be their full selves.
Beauty is about having and exuding confidence. It’s owning your internal power. We all perceive beauty differently so you can’t depend on everyone always seeing the beauty in you. That’s why we have to possess it and see it in ourselves, and then navigate the world with that understanding.
