Lovesick

Nsikanabasi Effiong

In our individual odysseys through the boundless expanse of existence, we inevitably lose ourselves every once in a while to the darkness; forgetting who we are. ‘Lovesick’ is an exploration of desperate longings of the soul for primordial expressions of the divine.

This body of work was inspired by my faith – the circumstances surrounding my relationship with God – and its eventual restoration after what felt like the end. I learned so much about God during my freshman year. I learned how to pray. I began to understand that He was always in control and that I could communicate with Him about everything; the things that filled me with boundless joy, the moments the sky would seem like it was falling and the clouds over my life rained disaster – everything!

I had found a friend in God, the perfect friend in fact. And our love would be everlasting – or so I thought. 

Somewhere along the line, like all beautiful things in my life at the time, this relationship began to wither. I stopped praying and no longer went to church. I was free. But what use is freedom when there’s nothing left of me?

Photography remains a mouthpiece for my emotions to this day. And through photography, I explored the grief that I felt for my wavering faith.

Nsikanabasi Effiong is from Akwa-Ibom state, Nigeria. He is a final year student at the University of Benin, studying social work. Photography started as a hobby for him four years ago. He started out as a photo enthusiast taking pictures with my phone. Along the line, he saw photography as a medium to express his soul. Two years ago, a friend was so kind enough to gift him a camera. Now he is on a journey to finding himself as an artist and getting better at his skill.

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