Kayla Shelton is a mixed media artist and illustrator based in Los Angeles, CA. Through her work she aims to spark meaningful discourse around the stereotypes that surround black identity and beauty within our culture.
Her illustrations and collages focus mainly on the human form and expression, using vibrant colors and detailed pattern work to draw viewers in to her striking portraits.
Growing up in Detroit as a kid it was pretty much a Chocolate City. All my teachers were Black. All the authority figures in my life were Black. It provided me with this empowering view of myself. I didn’t necessarily know that we were considered to be other.
That helped shape my work. I never really went through a space of time in my work where I felt like I needed to create art that was speaking to anyone other than Black people. I’ve always painted Black people. I know them most. That is who I am most concerned with taking in my work.
Born in inisha Osun state, he obtained his Bachelor’s in education in Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, from the department of fine and applied arts where he specialized in painting.
He is inspired by his late grandfather who was a painter, sculptor and ceramist from a tender age, as his love to practice art increased in university through meeting with like minded artists and numerous departmental visits to art galleries.
What makes his work and style unique is that he makes use of different tones or hues to depict human facial expressions and passes important messages to his audience, he also creates textured backgrounds with mixed media to compliment his usage of colours, giving it finishing touches that differentiates him from other expressionist artists.
"My expressionism style of art makes the artist express him or herself with any medium
the name of my painting style is called ÀBÈFÉ meaning (pleaded to be loved) which is my native name"
Based in Johannesburg, Hap brings her vivid imagination and thoughts to life using character illustration; a medium she discovered and soon fell in love with after exploring with a range of mediums and styles.
“As an Illustrator, I think it is important to understand what sort of medium one is comfortable with. Whether it’s flat, 3D, rigid, or abstract. Then when you work with the chosen medium, you grow and people will see your work for what it is. I stuck to illustrating characters that I could
only imagine, environments that I would like for them to exist, I created another world for myself; a world that makes me feel safe to express all sorts of emotions,” she adds.
While she draws inspiration from a range of avenues, she is particularly inspired by African aesthetics – such as primitivism movement or the use of masks, and African culture. This aesthetic is presented in a modern and surreal way through the use of carefully chosen colours, patterns and African masks.
Is an artist painter & founder of Nyandja Art Centre in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda.
Congolese by nationality, born in the east of Congo/Bukavu and now living in the UK.
'I was doing both music and painting in the past years, but at the moment I am pursuing a visual art career. I always wondered how I could do something to contribute to my cultural heritage, and art is one of the instruments that I can use.
Art has contributed so much to curse our culture, history and faith. Still, I can use it to connect the broken bridges between our ancestors and this generation, and even the next one.
Before I paint, I go back in time through meditation, with the help of our history & our culture which lives in us. Then, I find a way to paint the vision on the canvas in a manner that people can connect to it as I do. And, makes them appreciate the beauty, become proud, inspired and motivated to learn about the past.
"If you need healthy plants, first you need to start by taking care of their roots."
Born in Lagos and educated in Lagos. He studied art at the Polytechnic Ibadan where he majored in Painting. His dream of becoming an artist begun during his childhood. Then, a young Azeez would buy jotters and crayons to create characters in action. Human figures of ladies in action, faces and landscapes are his primary interest in painting.
Most of his paintings are imagined with a predetermined title before the composition of models to match his imaginations. He describes himself an explorative artist. "I'm exploring gestural style of painting and modern cubism at the moment and I have done gestural painting in series of miniatures."
He has also participated in exhibitions in Lagos and Ibadan. With his works appearing in collections and galleries across the region.
Born in 1978 in Accra, Ghana. Moses obtained a graduate degree in Art and has since gone on to participate in numerous group and personal exhibitions across the globe.
His paintings reveal the bright beauty of his homeland. Black women in colourful attire, dancing to the rhythm of drums, or holding leisurely conversation in the market. Musicians with their instruments, with sounds seemingly as pouring from his paintings.
The noisy bustle of city streets and the quiet charm of the evenings in the village. He shows his genuine love for his motherland through his artistry, defining his contemporary african paintings and giving a unique charm to ordinary life.
A student of architecture, Teddy picked up photography as a hobby, as he always had a love for graphics and art. He is a self taught artist who mixes his passion for photography with graphic design to produce stunning images.
He describes his art as conceptual and story based, as he tries to narrate complex societal stories through his work. His other pieces are fashion based, but he tries to align to a concept creation to add significance to his work.
Tamary Kudita is an emerging fine art photographer who was born in Zimbabwe. She is a recent graduate of Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town.Her past photographic exhibitions have explored notions of race and representation in a Postcolonial Era. Her solo exhibition was held at the PH Center gallery inCape town. Her previous exhibitions have been held at the Michaelis Galleries also in Cape town, titled, Maintaining Memories.She has also exhibited at the National Gallery in Harare, Zimbabwe as well as Artillery Gallery also inZimbabwe where her African Victorian Series first showed. Her most recent exhibition was held at Ki Smith Gallery in New York, America. Her work has received many notable accolades over the years. She is the current winner of the Sony Open Competition in the Sony World Photography Awards 2021.
Her future plans involve continuing and evolving her body of work by merging her antique processes with contemporary ways of photographing.
Born in 1997, Awuku Darko Samuel is a conceptual photographer from Suhum, Ghana. He began studying visual arts when he was at Nifa Senior High School, which he graduated from in 2017. He borrowed smartphones from friends to take photos until he was gifted with his own smartphone. He began exploring photography and what the medium can do as a visual storytelling method. Though he has experienced many different mediums, like African printmaking, leatherwork, and ceramics, he prefers photography because of its relative speed to materialize the ideas in his head.
Awuku’s conceptual photography is hugely inspired by his culture, the people around him. Visually, he is influenced by photographers like Philippe Halsman and Alessio Albi. He often incorporates daily, run-of-the-mill objects into his photography, utilizing them as something beyond its intended purpose. Through his vision, his models along with his props evolve into stunning high editorial images that would not look out of place in a fashion magazine.
By involving local youths in his photographs, he aims to show and teach them that there is an infinite possibility of creations to make even with limited resources available. Also to promote African heritage.
Natasha Kudita is a Zimbabwean visual artist with an affinity for abstract painting and new media. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Fine arts in 2021 from the University of Pretoria. Kudita’s work is characterised by a modernist sentiment which takes a formalist approach in its emphasis on line, colour and shape. These elements form a visual language which she uses as a tool to communicate with the world as a creator. Kudita employs a method of abstraction to reinterpret traditional renderings of African subject matter in a manner that reflects the essence of the contemporary black individual. She ultimately draws inspiration from her Shona and Zulu heritage to elevate scenes and experiences of African subjectivity, thus allowing more people to gain a diverse understanding of our collective identity.
Eden is a modern contemporary artist based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. She developed a love for the arts at a young age, even going on to study it at foundation level. She is recognised for her abstracts, nude art and her unique style of painting black women. Edens work is inspired by daily life, culture and other forms of art. In addition to being an artist, Eden is an adventurous mother of 2 who is currently studying for her bachelor degree in English literature.
Tinotenda Nyandoro is a self taught photographer based in Harare, Zimbabwe. He had a passion for captioning photos that he had in his family photo albums as a child, which spurred his connection to photography.
"It wasn't until many years and failed jobs later, that I decided to quit my formal job and teach myself photography. It wasn't easy but I had the support of family and friends, plus the determination to make a name for myself doing something I enjoyed. As time has gone by, I have found myself leaning more and more towards landscape photography as my favourite form of photography.
It's a combination of how relaxing and immersive the whole experience from shooting to editing is for me. My ultimate goal is to publish a coffee table book of Zimbabwe, showcasing all the beauty she has to offer.
Naledi Tshegofatso Modupi is a multi-dimensional visual artist known for her versatility and her ability to seamlessly manoeuvre between digital art territories and traditional art mediums at a seasoned level. Her work is consistent in the use of bold and vibrant colours, featuring a striking use of linework.
Her work is mainly portraiture and the style developed can be best described as reductive or semi-abstract portraiture. She conveys individuality and personality to her subject as she uses basic shapes and colors. Her work authenticates itself through through the use beautiful array of colours, shapes and patterns.
Her work is heavily inspired by the beauty of blackness and characteristics associated with black people. Through it she aims to inspire confidence and awaken hope in those who are able to find their reflections in her pieces, just as she sees her work as a reflection of the faces surrounding her. Her work focuses on the representation of Black people as the joyful, bold and beautiful people, whilst contributing to the shift from the 'black struggle' narrative.
As a darker skinned black woman, she uses her identity and experiences as the central theme to her work. She explores this theme to create sustained conversations about black people, mainly black women in society- in a direction that emphasises and celebrates their differing and empowering stories.
Tamerlie J. Philippe, a native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, grew up amidst a captivating blend of beauty and turmoil. Her artistic journey began in Montreal, where she embraced her creative spirit and honed her skills. Currently based in Hungary, Tamerlie embarks on inspiring travels, uncovering hidden gems across the globe. In 2020, she embarked on a profound relationship with painting, still navigating her emotions towards it. This mutual understanding between Tamerlie and her art is both intriguing and evolving. Music and coffee serve as constant companions during their creative encounters. Tamerlie's artistry blossomed when a dream led her to create "Ghost town," where the brush seemed guided by an unseen force. Faces without features felt natural, and this distinct style has become a signature of her work. Another piece, "Woslè," sketched by friend Saradjen Bartley, further embodied this intriguing absence of facial features. Tamerlie embraces the enigmatic allure of faceless characters, shaping her artistic expression.
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