Name: Yagazie Ledi Francisca Emezi
Age: 21
Place of birth: Aba, Nigeria
Current residence: Albuquerque, New Mexico

I’m Nigerian Malaysian; me and my siblings were born and raised in Nigeria. My parents met in London where my father was a doctor and my mother was a nurse.

I’m currently attending university in New Mexico . It’s the first and only state I’ve ever lived in so it took me a year to feel fully at home here. Once I settled in I discovered that the culture is amazing, I like to call it the ‘hippie state’. I wake up relatively early everyday and go to campus. After campus it’s work, gym, study and sleep. In between that, I’m on my blog and networking. It may sound dull and repetitive but my days are never the same. I always find time to laugh from my heart everyday.

At the moment my style is a toned down version of crazy glam. But it changes too frequently to label it because one minute I’m  strutting in heels and the next I’m in saggy pants. Sometimes I get crazy looks from others, but that’s okay because I believe I can pull it off.

When I’m homesick I use spoken word and my blog to reminisce about the memories of home. My blog features a bit of beauty and fashion but it’s mainly about Nigeria and Africans. I put up a video blog about how people react to my accent the first time they meet me. I was really surprised by the amount of responses I got for that video. I only speak with an African accent when I meet other Africans or people from the islands. But when it does slip out I am always flooded with strange questions about my cultural heritage.

I’ve travelled to Malaysia, India, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Mexico, the UK and a few other countries. A lot of people say ‘travel with an open mind’ but through my experiences I have learnt to travel with an open heart. Sometimes, being culturally aware comes with a huge wave of responsibility. You see the good and bad in every culture but it’s how you use that knowledge that counts.

I love simplicity. I love all that everyone else loves like family and life itself. More than anything, I love my homeland and I love my black women and men. Love is a hard emotion to carry out successfully 
because we all love differently. 

My one piece of advice to anyone reading this is slow down. Don’t get caught up in the material world because you will lose focus on the simple things in life that we should love, and daydream as often as you can. I’m Complexd because I try not to get angry over issues such as wars, famine and poverty.

Visit Yagazie’s blog JungleLove here

Name: Esther Beckford
Occupation: Fine artist, architecture student
Place of birth/ current residence: Kingston, Jamaica

I’m what you call ‘Rasta People Pickney’. My parents are fine artists and they raised me with Rastafarian and Christian beliefs. I love being Jamaican! Here everyone is a star whether you’re decked out in designer gear or sporting no front teeth!

I’m an architect-artist who models, acts and surfs. I’ve been studying architecture for three years so I have very little time for much else when I’m at school. What I really like about studying in the tropics is the climate. It gives the opportunity to design spaces that really engage the outdoors all year round. When I have school breaks I’m an art director and I create set designs for projects in the film industry.

I got involved in modelling when I entered a local model search after graduating from high school; I thought it would be a good way to challenge myself and smooth off the rough surfer girl edges.

Surfing is a love I share with a sister and two brothers, it is how we keep connected; I love nothing better than watching the swell of the wave and waiting until it’s huge enough for me to soak in the awe.

As a freelance artist it’s challenging to keep a ‘regular’ schedule, however, over the next couple of years I’m really focused on school and achieving my degree in architecture. Island life is fairly relaxing but that has its pros and its cons.

I’m Complexd because I’m a bit of a paradox in many ways. In my professional life, I operate primarily in the realm of the visual and aesthetic; however, in my personal life I’m very relaxed. I also embrace change, which is a constant source of motivation for me.