Wednesdays Revisited: A Year of Reconnection and Nigerian Flavors.
In 2009, I embarked on an unusual journey—a journey of memory, reconnection, and food. Over the course of a year, from 2009 to 2010, I spent each Wednesday reconnecting with someone from my past, someone who had impacted me in a meaningful way since I moved to the United States from Nigeria in 1993. Living in New York City, the vast metropolis where life moves fast and connections often fade, I set out to bridge the years that had slipped by and reconnect with people who had shaped my journey.
Armed with Facebook and determination, I began tracking down these individuals, reaching into the past to bring them back to the present. These were friends, colleagues, and even brief acquaintances—each with a special role in my life since I’d made NYC my home. Every Wednesday, I invited one person to my place for a simple dinner, sharing a Nigerian dish, almost certain they’d never tasted the flavors of my heritage before.
The rules of my project were straightforward but deeply meaningful. We would sit, face to face, no distractions, just the two of us catching up on life, love, and dreams deferred. I would prepare something distinctly Nigerian, a culinary expression of my culture and identity. After a shared meal, I’d take black-and-white photos—a portrait capturing a moment in time, a quiet tribute to our shared history.
I chose black-and-white photography because it stripped away the noise, leaving only the essence of the person, their spirit, and our bond. Each portrait was a reminder of the roles these people had played in my life, the sacrifices and memories, the little moments that added up to something bigger.
I limited myself to reconnecting with one person each week, a rhythm that felt organic, sustainable, and respectful. Wednesdays became sacred—a midweek pause where I could reflect, reconnect, and reaffirm ties I feared were fraying. By the end of the year, I had photographed and dined with 104 people, each a thread in the tapestry of my New York experience.
Why 1993 to 2000? Those were my formative years in America—the time when I was finding my way in a new country, absorbing everything, yet still deeply tied to who I was. After 2000, I felt more intentional about preserving relationships, consciously chronicling the ways people impacted my life. But those early years? They were my foundation, and these weekly dinners became my way of honoring that period.
In the end, this project became much more than a series of portraits or a culinary adventure. It became a story of resilience, a testament to the power of human connection, and a celebration of the memories that make us who we are. Each Wednesday dinner marked a small reunion, a rekindling of friendships that, for a moment, erased the years and miles that had come between us. And through the lens of my camera and the flavors of my kitchen, we found each other again.
