In a time defined by political uncertainty and deepening social fracture, spaces of tenderness and

affirmation are increasingly rare. The world has grown harsher for many, a truth that is

perpetually palpable for Black women, whose bodies, voices, and very presence are so often sites

of contestation. And yet, Black women continue to carve out sanctuaries: spaces built not of brick

and mortar, but of bond and becoming.

Sisterhood Sanctuary, the first solo exhibition by photographer Ornelle Chimi is a visual ode to

these spaces. Across a series of portraits that center Black women in relationship (with each other

and themselves) Chimi reveals a world where sisterhood is both shield and salve. The exhibition

explores sisterhood in its many forms: biological, chosen, communal.

What began as a personal reflection on the life-saving nature of sisterhood in the artist’s own

world evolved into a broader exploration of Black women’s relationships as sites of refuge,

celebration, and intergenerational strength. In these frames, women cheer one another on, console

each other, and witness one another’s beauty. In every case, the intimacy offers glimpses into the

lifelong becoming that Black women do together, again and again, in the face of the world.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Ornelle Chimi is a Maryland based Cameroonian American photographer whose work captures

the beauty, intimacy, and strength she sees within Black diasporic communities. While she first

established herself as a fashion photographer, working with clients such as The Wiz, Nike, and

Google, her debut solo exhibition, Sisterhood Sanctuary, marks a meaningful expansion beyond

the commercial space into a more personal, narrative-driven artistic practice.

In Sisterhood Sanctuary, Chimi offers a visual ode to the bonds Black women form with one

another—bonds that persist and flourish even amid deepening social fracture. Her work as a visual

storyteller spans geographies, from Douala, Cameroon to Prince George’s County, Maryland, but

remains rooted in a singular mission: to inspire her audience to cherish their communities and to

seek solace and strength in collective care.

KEY QUOTE

“I think about how the women in my life have damn near saved me.. How they’ve allowed me the

space to be myself, how they give me the space to be free and be as vulnerable as I want to be.

They’ve been my sanctuary from everything else that might be happening in my life and

everything else that might be happening in the world.”