Aleeenɔ Is Coming - The Inspiration

 Aunty Aleeenɔ.

This collection is dedicated to my grandmother, Aunty Aleeenɔ. In Ga culture, her name carries profound meaning: "the unknown" or "does not belong." Aleeenɔ is a "Gbogbalɔ" name, a term that translates to "a person who dies and returns".

In Ga tradition, Gbogbalɔi (plural) are believed to be spirits who reincarnate, repeatedly returning to the spirit world shortly after birth. These spirits, it is said, enjoy the cycle of being born, celebrated, and returning to the afterlife, oblivious to the emotional toll this process takes on their families.

 To ensure that such a spirit remains on earth and lives a full life, the community performs specific rites to ground the reincarnated soul in the physical world. These rites, though they may seem harsh, are believed to tie the spirit to life and its earthly responsibilities. For example, when a Gbogbalɔ is born, the birth is not celebrated. Marks are made on the newborn's face, and the child is not given a family name of succession but rather a name considered unsuitable for a human being. The child is also not immediately recognized as part of the family. While these customs may appear cruel, they serve a deeper purpose: to compel the spirit to stay, live, and fulfill its destiny here on earth.