We’re ready for the South X Southwest conference. All we need is your vote and your voice behind us. Please click this link to learn about and vote for our panel. South X Southwest takes not only votes, but comments into account when deciding which panels will be selected–so please make yourself heard!
Our proposal video describes what we’ll be talking about in greater depth with pretty graphics.
We appreciate your vote and comment; we need your opinion.
Posted in African Diaspora, Art, SXSW, Technology, Women
We’re teaming up with two community minded tech experts, Kristen Nicole and Wayne Sutton, to discuss the importance of black women’s representation in the on- and offline art world and propose new technology for connecting the international black arts community. We want to bring our panel “Art, Technology and Representation: Empowering Women of the African Diaspora through Big Data and Global Networks” to South X Southwest (SXSW). This web conference brings together great technological and entrepreneurial minds to discuss and collaborate on the next important digital trends. We aim to make art, women and people of the African diaspora a part of that discussion and included in the next technological innovation as well as learn as much as we can to advance our project.
You’re with us, right? Vote here: http://bit.ly/vote4lu
Check out our proposal video to learn more.
Our vision is to bring the art, ideas and talent of Live Unchained to people of African descent throughout the world. Although the Internet helps us build the Live Unchained brand and international network, the digital divide is still a very real problem, leaving blacks in the U.S. and abroad without adequate Internet access. Fortunately (although not sufficiently), technological advancements, especially Big Data and App development, are creating more opportunities to reach out to people who have had limited access, which is what we want to explore.
We need your support to make it to SXSW. We appreciate your vote: http://bit.ly/vote4lu
Posted in Art, Big Data, Live Unchained, SXSW, Technology, Vote, Wayne Sutton
Building an artistic career is not just about conquering your inner-critic, releasing your inhibitions and allowing the expression to come forth; we also need to hone our craft and develop our brand. So, for some of us, accepting this process means relaxing away from the idea that business-like thought, action or strategy makes our art less valid, passionate and cool. Kesha Bruce, art hero, consultant, radio host and curator, encourages artists to see entrepreneurship as empowerment–a way to own and affirm your creative message.
Kesha Bruce
Kesha is an internationally noted painter and collage artist, living and working in the United States and France. Of her creative journey she explains: “I was just another young, struggling artist. I was born and raised in Iowa, where I studied art and graduated with a BFA in painting from the University of Iowa. A week after graduation, I sold everything I owned and bought a one-way plane ticket to New York City. I landed in Brooklyn with nothing more than a backpack full of badly wrinkled clothes, 2 pairs of shoes, and $3000 in cash in my pocket. Not only did I manage to survive, but I completed my MFA in painting at Hunter College and built a life for myself as a working artist.”
Kesha’s own experiences with both hardship and success have truly influenced the passion she brings to the topic of creative entrepreneurship. Here she shares the details of the forthcoming 6×6 exhibit in New York (which encourages artists to get their hustle up and celebrates them for doing so), the importance of women’s art communities and creating against the odds.
Can you tell us what 6×6 is all about and your inspiration for creating it?
6×6 came about when my Baang and Burne co-director, Charlie Grosso, and I started asking ourselves the question: What if there were no more art galleries? The answer we came up with was that if there were no more art galleries, artists would have to learn to take complete control over their careers and the marketing and sales of their work. We both see that as a great freeing opportunity.
The whole point of 6×6 is to lead by example. The entire event is meant to be a blue-print for how artists can get together and help each other promote their work. Aside from the six exhibitions, we’ve teamed up with the New York Foundation for the Arts to present two workshops for artists. One will focus on how to fine tune your website so that it not only showcases your work, but will help you build your collector base.
We really appreciate how you encourage artists to expand their creative community. In addition to seeking out artists with common interests, what do you think of female artists reaching out to women’s centered art organizations or other female creatives, in general?
I think it’s a great idea for women artists and creative to reach out and connect with each other. It’s not a cliché to say that there is strength in numbers. I say this all the time—other artists aren’t your competition, they are your greatest allies. Women artists should take this idea to heart.
I especially think younger artists can learn a lot from other women in their field that have more years of experience and wisdom to offer. That’s one of the reasons I refocused my studio blog around helping other artists. Most of the young artists who e-mail me for advice are women. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I think they are looking for someone who they can connect and identify with, and who has faced similar challenges to the ones they are currently facing. I’m always eager to help because I think we have a responsibility to each other.
Are there things you typically turn to for creative inspiration? Do you think the idea of needing inspiration to move forward is a hyped up excuse for creative procrastination?
Whenever I get “art career burn-out” I take lots of steps to recover and replenish. I consider it a part of my studio practice. I take weekends trips. I visit galleries. I spend a day on my sofa watching zombie movies…whatever it takes. But then I get myself back in my studio and start working. Beyond that it can become procrastination.
I believe that almost all procrastination is based in fear. Fear that you’re not good enough, fear of rejection, or even the fear that you won’t live up to your past work. The only way to conquer that fear is to face it head on and get to work! There really is no other way.
What does living unchained mean to you?
Living unchained means freedom. It means trusting your ideas and your vision enough that you allow yourself the freedom to truly explore them. Creativity isn’t about “making” things happen; it’s about allowing things to happen.
…
To read Kesha’s weekly articles on art, art marketing, and creativity and to download a free copy of her guide “The 5 Step Art Career Make-Over” visit www.KeshaBrucestudio.com.
Post by LU Team Member Lulu Kitololo
As Niambi mentioned last week, I too am very honored and excited to be a part of this community and share my thoughts, inspiration and passion when it comes to art and living unchained.
Fittingly, there’s a question that I’ve been asking myself and exploring
for years, albeit not always in these exact words and sometimes, not even
consciously: How can/does art enable us to live unchained?
Last week I came across a CNN interview with one of my favorite artists, Wangechi Mutu. In a lot of her work, she takes the female body and transforms it into something new that is often at once dazzling and provocative. In the interview, she talks about how she is inviting Kenyans and Africans (essentially, women of African descent) to celebrate and appreciate our bodies, rather than despise them as we have been taught or even forced to do.
"Untitled" by Wangechi Mutu
It made me think of how else art representing bodies is used to challenge
assumed knowledge or even address stigma – in short, to empower. One of
the first examples that came to mind is the Trust for Indigenous Culture
and Health and their body mapping work – an art project whose explicit intent is healing. Pioneered by an HIV positive women’s group in Uganda, body mapping involves painting large scale silhouettes representing your body, its experiences and how you nurture it. Through creating and sharing these pieces of art, the women chart their powerful emotions on the path to healing.
Indeed, sometimes the most powerful tool we have is the one we often take for granted, mistreat or view as an enemy – our precious body. With it,
we can be incredibly creative, even if we don’t consider ourselves to be artists or creatively-inclined. Engaging with it, listening to it, appreciating it, celebrating it and taking pride in it – regardless of the challenges it may present – is one way we exercise living unchained.
Our bodies are available to us right here now and so experiencing that
unchained living is simple. Take one of the things that makes me most
happy in this world – dancing. In surrendering my body to the music, it is
freed to move and express itself in a way that is independent from my
thoughts.
Though the moments may be fleeting, it is in these glimpses
where all the things I have been told (or told myself) about my body are
exposed for the irrelevant or even false statements that they are. Through
my movement, I create a new vision for myself. These are powerful times.
How does your body help you to live unchained?
Posted in Art, Body, Creativity, Dance, Live Unchained, Wangechi Mutu, Women
Oneika Russell
I like visually pleasing art that I can see hanging on my living or bedroom walls. Yet, more and more, I’m growing to love modern and conceptual artists who create work that isn’t necessarily beautiful in it’s aesthetic, but beautiful in it’s truth and purpose. Kara Walker’s silhouettes of an infant being stabbed and characters eating poop, for example, weren’t created for “hang appeal,” but I respect her vision.
Oneika Russell, artist and blogger, has helped me appreciate modern art on it’s own terms. Her blog, Art: Jamaica, features interviews, profiles and pieces from contemporary Caribbean artists. Having worked with the PBS Art:21 partnership program as well as studying and creating art in Jamaica, the United Kingdom and now completing a residency at the Kyoto Seika University, Media Arts Department in Japan, Oneika is a respected voice in the art world. Here she discusses critiques of modern art, “ethnic trends” in art spaces, how her heritage influences her work (and shares some pieces), and, of course, what living unchained means to an artistic adventurous traveler like herself.
What made you want to create a blog to highlight Jamaican Art?
The blog’s focus comes, in part, from my exposure while working at The National Gallery of Jamaica. Jamaican Art has certain similarities and trends in common with other Caribbean countries, but also has a specific voice and tone that comes from the political atmospheres, our social histories and art pioneers and their influence. The country where I was first trained as an artist, of course, contributed much to how I perceive art because of the artists I was able to learn from as well as the work that was being exhibited there.
I think some people think of contemporary art as being inaccessible to a broad audience. Do you think there are common misunderstandings about contemporary art and artists?
That’s a good question. Jamaican Collector culture in general tends to shy away from contemporary art unless it ticks certain specific boxes reflective of more established ideas about Art. That is partly because of the legacy of gentrification but there are a handful of new collectors of contemporary Jamaican Art that see it as a kind of innovation and document of the way we think about culture and changing society.
At times it can be inaccessible if you seek to perceive it in the traditional way of looking at a lovely picture or how close that picture resembles its subject–but I don’t think it ends there. Contemporary artists internationally have often proven themselves some of the greatest catalysts of political movements, social change, technological innovation and critical thought. This shows that art is no longer for quiet enjoyment in a salon, but can really generate new ways of thinking and open discussions.
For example see this piece by GA Gardner featured in Oneika’s blog post
Black Faced
You asked a really thoughtful question on your blog about acceptance in international art centers: “Do you feel that location, citizenship, etc. privileges an artist’s success within International Art Centers of the world?” How would you answer the question for yourself?
I have never really felt that my gender was an inhibiting factor within the art world, though it may be true that it is better to be a female artist depending on what country and city you are in. The same may be true for being an artist of African descent.
In practical ways, there are times in those art centers when Caribbean Art is more of a trend than other times or times when Indian or Chinese or African American Art is trendy and sometimes when it is not. It can seem that at certain times the art world only has space for a handful of artists from particular backgrounds and ethnicities. However, I think if we acknowledge that the Art world is a market, then aspiring artists also have to become game players.
Can you share some of your own personal art projects? What are you working on now?
For the last 3 years I have been making drawings, digital prints and videos from Asia, specifically Singapore and Japan and I think I am at a point where I’m starting to absorb aspects about the atmosphere of the environment. I was previously making digital animations that were really rooted in Jamaica’s colonial past and its pop culture but now I have just started to think about my experience and feelings of exotification and outsiderness in Asia. I play with language and focus more on intuitive approaches to drawing.
The images here are from my latest project titled A Natural History.
Warrior Sitting on a Garden Creature
Garden Portrait
Would you say your heritage influences your artistic aesthetic or work, in general?
In terms of aesthetics and actual imagery, I feel free to take ideas from anywhere and any genre but my ideas I would say are Caribbean. I can’t help liking the look of U.S. children’s animation, Victorian Painting, Singaporean Natural History Drawings, Hong Kong Cinema so I use it all in my work but keep the ideas close to home.
Can you share any resources (other than your beautiful blog) for readers interested in learning more about contemporary Caribbean art?
Thank you very much for that! I am glad the blog is something that can be enjoyed visually. A list of some of my favorite online spaces are:
- The National Gallery of Jamaica (exhibitions and collections)
- ARC Magazine (current internet and print Caribbean Art magazine)
- Alice Yard (Trinidad- based art space)
- Paramaribo SPAN (Suriname-based art blog)
Finally, what does living unchained mean to you?
An unchained life would involve travel to expand the mind, new ambitions and challenges to push your limits and abilities. And, a relentless pursuit of those things that make you happy.
Posted in Art, Caribbean, Conceptual Art, Jamaica, Modern, Oneika Russell
Art and commerce are the inseparable yin and yang for visionaries that want to create for a living. Even though they were destined to be together, marrying the business and creative aspects of our lives takes work. Lisa Nicole Bell counsels artists, entrepreneurs and organizations on how to enhance their brands without compromising their artistry or truth. She also offers her own brand of practical inspiration–not what she calls the “fluffy type”–through her radio show and various speaking engagements. As an award winning filmmaker, media personality, social change agent, international speaker, and entrepreneur she has helped many women develop the tools to live their creative dreams by living her own.
Here, Lisa explains the union of art and commerce in her own life, breaks down the idea and importance of branding for artists and shares how she realized all of her accomplishments by working towards her highest self.
Can you tell us how you went about, as you say, “putting art and commerce in a blender and blazing your own trail”? Would you say you had a lot of guidance?
It’s a path that I had to find as I walked it, and continues to evolve. I didn’t have much help early on, but that actually turned out to be a good thing. I needed to really sort out what my identity would be and what I wanted to accomplish as a professional. I have released the need to fit into a box or a set of definitions. There’s definitely a lot of trial and error. I think most successful people will admit that they are successful because they’re willing to fail as much as necessary to attain success.
It’s nice to have mentors and support on your journey, but even when you don’t, you’ve got to mentor yourself. I have been a voracious reader from the beginning and much of my growth can be attributed to that. Above all else, I’ve been committed to growing as a person and making meaningful investments in humanity. I believe the rest will take care of itself.
Could you rank the art and commerce loves of your life? In other words, would you say that you’re an artist before you’re an entrepreneur, or the other way around?
I get this question often, and I’ve never been able to truly rank them because I believe both are necessary. It’s like saying, “What’s more important – your legs or your arms?” There are arguments for both sides, but when you have both, you maximize your physical potential.
My creative side supplies the concepts and broader ideals that I pursue. My entrepreneurial side supplies the vehicles I need to actually bring those things to fruition. For me, creativity and business are two sides of one coin. In order for the work to matter, it’s got to come from creativity, integrity and it’s got to be well-executed. I can say that I am a born writer and performer, but I couldn’t imagine not being an entrepreneur and resource organizer.
You also know a lot about branding and I’d like to talk about that. I was chatting with an artist friend about building her brand and she was resistant and said: “But, I don’t want to ever think of myself as a product.” How do you define branding and why do you think it’s important for artists? What advice would you give artists who have issues with the idea?
I define branding as owning a concept in the minds of those who matter to you. I
don’t believe that anything is as important in this new digital landscape and new
economy. The people who are weathering and thriving through the economic transition are those who understand and leverage branding. It’s not logos and repetition. It’s a set of intentional and thoughtful signals sent to a group of people with the intention of creating a decision-making shortcut for them. A well-crafted brand saves us the trouble of research and contemplation; we see the brand indicator, and we can assume with reasonable certainty that the outcome will be similar to that of previous experiences with that brand. To achieve brand recognition that translates to the bottom line is an artistic feat in itself.
As an artist, you really can’t afford not to be branded these days. I was discussing this with the co-producer of Deal Breakers (my first full-length stage production), and we agreed that too many artists lack a working understanding of how marketing and branding impact what they do. Even the greatest artists can be replaced. The irreplaceable among us are those who have created unique identities around their talent and have developed intelligent ways of delivering that to us.
The internet has turned the branding paradigm on its head which is good for the average artist. Artists are now much more empowered to share their work with the people who care. If an artist is willing to do the work of figuring out who they really serve, they’re miles ahead of everyone else. Ultimately, an artist, in my opinion, has a responsibility to learn how to effectively brand themselves so that the people who need and want what they have can get it. I understand the need to maintain artistic integrity, but artists have to understand that marketing, branding, and money are not enemies of creativity; they create additional opportunities for it.
It’s clear that personal development and growth is important to you. You’ve said meditation changed your life. Why did you start meditating and how did it become so important to you?
I started meditating because I needed to achieve a level of mental clarity and focus that nothing else had afforded me. My first deep experiences with meditation came through yoga. I was one of the newbies who would let my mind race even though it was supposed to be still. I slowly eased my way into the
meditation and before I knew it, I was meditating at home every morning. Meditation is how my most brilliant ideas and wonderful solutions have come to me. Meditation time is the only time my mind is not “on.” I’m always thinking, solving, creating, pondering, reflecting, and musing. Meditation helps to quiet the internal noise long enough for me to make sense of it.
I believe that the average person has entirely too much noise in his or her life. This prevents us from being able to hear – hear God, hear ourselves, hear the small still voice that guides us to where we’re destined to be. The more still my mind became, the more peaceful I became.
I am able to stay in a grounded and centered place which is really important to me because my life is full. Meditation has opened pathways to a better quality of life and a spiritual depth I didn’t even know existed.
I like that you are also committed to making a transformative impact in people’s lives and, “not the hyped up type or the fluffy type.” I really get that sense from your radio show. Can you say more about that? Where does the “hyped up fluffy type” fall short and what ways of thinking and seeing the world do you think actually compel people to change?
The modern landscape is really calling for people and ideas that are change-inducing and sustainable. I have a disdain for things that are predictable and repetitious. I think this movement toward inspirational ideas and life coaching is good, but needs accountability in the form of forward progress.
People often tell me that I’ve inspired them in some way, and I love hearing that. I reply by asking what they’re doing to do differently. Sometimes that question startles people. But that’s the point. How many times have you read a self-help book or heard a motivational speaker and come away pumped up? And how many times have you been deflated a week later? It’s the equivalent of spiritual candy – it’s good going down and you’re high for a while. Then you crash and burn. The downward trend is due to a lack of meaningful action connected to the inspiration.
The fluffy stuff is the quotes and stories that shift your thinking but don’t shift your life. My goal isn’t just to inspire people. My goal is to catalyze them – to move them out of mediocrity and contentment into purpose and action. It starts with the inspiration – a book, a film, a presentation, a project, an interview – but it moves on to a thirst for more information and then a commitment to action. This is how real change happens, and it’s my intention to create that for as many people as possible.
Finally, what does living unchained mean to you?
Living unchained means having your mind take a backseat to your spirit. It means consciously releasing anything that impedes your journey to who your intuition tells you that you were intended to be. Living unchained means using what you have to get what you want. Living unchained means finding a way or making one.
Posted in Art, Commerce, Entrepreneurship, Lisa Nicole Bell, media
Iman Milner
If you got to meet an artist who had obviously worked a lot of magic to become successful–say Janelle Monae–wouldn’t you want to learn about more than her favorite producer? I know plenty of women, like Iman Milner, who want to see more than the same media interviewers asking the same celebrities the same simple questions. Women of color, I think, have a special appreciation for the fact that if you want things to go in a different direction, you’ll often have to clear the path yourself. Iman, collaborated with friends, Camara Mathis and Ashley Nguyen, to create a project that would take us from the surface to the edge.
EDGE Magazine was created to showcase the diverse experiences and perspectives of young artists of color. The magazine features kindred creative and entrepreneurial spirits talking about topics like world affairs, vulnerability, and destiny, always with an exciting and youthful flavor–not the conventional features for people of color that mainly focus on sports, entertainment and gossip.
Talking to Iman about EDGE Magazine’s development, immortalizing black women’s beauty and living unchained was like a breath of fresh air–I guess everything’s just crisper on the edge…
Posted in Acting, Art, Black Women, Creativity, EDGE Magazine, Inspiration
The Live Unchained team and I were discussing how artists, in general, but conceptual artists in particular, are often stereotyped as tortured functional depressives. You don’t really hear about how these artists have to be resourceful and trust their instincts. From an early age Nina Chanel Abney created pieces that resonated with her, even if they didn’t fulfill others’ expectations–i.e. young Nina’s painting of a bloody eyeball that caught her art teacher off guard.
Paper Magazine described her work as combining “strong feminine and masculine images infused with humor, irony, perversity, satire and fantasy.” As to the playful, challenging nature of her paintings, she says they’re “easy to swallow, hard to digest.” Having exhibited works throughout the United States and abroad, being featured in The New York Times, Essence and Glamour, people like us, are eager to see the stories her paintings have to tell because they make us better–even if we have to choke a little. Here, Nina discusses how she came to be so bold in her work, her creative process and visual storytelling.
Nina Chanel
Could you share with us a little about your background? What made you want to become a painter?
My love for art and my hate for the “9 to 5” drove me to seriously pursue painting as a career. I’ve been drawing and painting since I was a child. But it wasn’t until graduate school that everything started to come full circle for me. My boundless imagination and I moved to a place where “anything goes.” Prior to coming to New York, I had a very limited view of who an artist was; I had a very limited view of art in general. I had never been into a gallery. I had no idea how artists made a living. I had no notion of contemporary art.
Most of the schools I attended insinuated that a “good” artist was one that 
could draw and paint realistically. And though that was what was typically taught, because my gut told me differently, I began a mission to find my own truth. And that started by me purposely doing the opposite of what my art teacher expected. As a fifth grader, I remember having to paint Rene Magritte’s “The False Mirror” as an assignment, and I turned in a painting of a bloody eyeball. And from then on I continued to push the limits of my assignments and my teacher’s buttons by doing my own thing.
And I never meant to be rebellious in a disrespectful manner. I just needed to paint by emotion and instinct rather than paint out of docility.
"Close But No Cigar," Acrylic on canvas
To me your work appears to possess a playful yet mysterious quality that I am drawn to? How would you characterize your artwork?
Easy to swallow, hard to digest. The playfulness of my work is a result of my use of vivid colors and my interest in satirical cartoons. I love the fact that anything taboo suddenly becomes tolerable as long as it’s not “real”. I’m a huge fan of The Family Guy because of their ability to spoon feed their audience touchy topics with the use of humor and animation. If it were a sitcom with actual actors, they would no longer be on television. And as far 
as the mystery…I personally find the artwork that I am mostly drawn to is work that keeps you guessing and keeps you coming back for more. I enjoy work that doesn’t give me a definite answer, but challenges me answer my own questions. I cannot even sketch an idea for a painting because the definitive nature of the act itself would make me lose interest in the painting before it’s begun, so I couldn’t possibly expect the viewer to want to continuously look a painting that is too literal.
"Null and Void," Acrylic on canvas, 77 ½ x 45
During the opening of my second solo exhibition, “Emma’s Basement”, there was a woman who came into the gallery, stood in front of my painting, “Null and Void,” and left with a look of utter disgust. She then came back about 10 minutes later, and I knew then my work was doing exactly what I wanted it to.
When looking at your work there appears to be layers to the narrative, which I find really interesting. Is there usually a specific story that you wish to be conveyed in a piece?
When I begin a painting, I never have a specific story in mind. I usually have a few general topics that I want to start a discussion about, or attempt to resolve for myself. And in that process I usually end up with a lot of contradictions. It is not until then that I meld together all of these disjointed elements to create a narrative or multiple narratives. And to adhere to the mysterious quality of my work, in my most sinister voice, I say, “I NEVER share the stories!” ☺
From what sources do you get your inspiration?
Most of my inspiration comes from personal thoughts and experiences and the things that arose from those experiences, or resulted from those thoughts. I then relate them to specific songs, emotions, movies, celebrities, world issues, etc. So I am constantly watching television, movies, browsing the internet, looking through books, magazines, and listening to music in order to immerse myself in the things that relate to the topic at hand which is usually what I am dealing with at the moment in some shape or form.
But when I find myself in some sort of slump, in which for whatever reason I am not feeling very moved by anything in particular, I usually go to any art museum, or go check out some gallery shows to rejuvenate myself.
Could you discuss your collection GO BERSERKER? What made you create this collection? I was specifically drawn to your pieces: “A Capitol Offence” and “The Liquidators,” could you speak about those?
THE LIQUIDATORS (2010) acrylic on canvas 66 x 80 in.
A CAPITAL OFFENCE (2010) acrylic on canvas 36 x 36 in.
I don’t attempt to communicate anything specific to the viewer. I simply share my thoughts and hope that the viewer will have an experience, rather pleasant or unpleasant, that will start a conversation, spark an emotion, or help to them to convey their own message to themselves. And I don’t have a specific audience in mind for my work. Creating work for a specific type of person would create too many boundaries. I create the work for myself, and then share it with anyone who is interested.
The pieces in my exhibition Go Berserker, explore introspection and the idea of fighting against and/or accepting the things one might find when looking inside oneself. With that body of work I was also interested in exploring the collision of instinct and intuition, as well as the power in the ability to harness both.
Are there any specific pieces of art you would like to share with us?
Nina Chanel Abney The Escorts, 2008 Acrylic on canvas 93 x 66 1/2”
Nina Chanel Abney Law and Order, 2010 Acrylic on canvas 65 ½ x 74 1/4"
Nina Chanel Abney Holey Grail, 2011 Acrylic on canvas 48 x 40"
Finally, what does living unchained mean to you?
Living unchained for me is living for myself without regrets and obligation.
I have a shameless plug…
I’m currently collaborating with a well-known brand to develop my own line of limited edition t-shirts that should be out sometime this summer.
I will be in the traveling exhibition 30 Americans, which is coming to North Carolina in March.
http://twitter.com/ninachanel
(I haven’t tweeted anything since July, but I’m working on it, ☺)
Magic Photo Studio, Delphine Diallo
Delphine Diallo transcends the status quo in photography by simply following her spirit. Trusting it led her to Senegal–her father’s homeland, Indi–the little girl that became her muse, and dipping herself in blue after being inspired by the film Avatar.
Delphine was born in Paris and currently lives in New York where she has continued to work as a photographer, graphic designer, illustrator and filmmaker among other creative ventures. After graduating with distinction from the Académie Charpentier School of Visual Art in 1999, she worked as a graphic designer and animator for several musicians, including Coldplay, Smashing Pumpkins, and Manu Chao.
In speaking with Delphine about her background, travels and views on art and style, we learned that her major influences are love and spirit.
Indi, Delphine's Muse and Mona Lisa, Delphine Diallo
Avatar, Delphine Diallo
How does your background influence your work?
Being mixed and having an African dad and a French mom makes me realize that I might have something different to express. Also, working in the music industry with great artists inspires me to create artwork that is personal and very emotional. It helps me to take a risk and be totally free–to open my mind about a different vision of the world.
Some say art is like a window into themselves and the world. Do you agree?
Yes it is… art is a reflection of my thoughts, my beliefs, my fear, my love about the world. I have direct connection with the world… it is like a fluid, where media influences become secondary and where your mind is feeling every single moment of your life and translates to your own vision through photography. This vision becomes the part of your real world and you are able to build a strong link with the world around you.
Photography allows me to develop images that transcend stereotypes in a world that consistently perpetuates a singular attitude as to what is deemed beautiful.
"Monica" and "Azza" from the Queen of New York series by Delphine Diallo
What does art allow you to discover about yourself and others?
Art is the key to live in a better world if you know how to use it. Art has opened my mind to understand how as an individual you can contribute to improve others life too. I became more tolerant, less selfish, giving myself the freedom to understand the other and discover that without your friends and family, you won’t be inspired.
Can you tell us about how Africa came to be a recurring theme in your work?
Africa is the first place where I was inspired. In this land, no one is running and people take time to share and stay in family. I’m inspired because of the nature, light, people, colors, wildlife…everything about Africa is inspiring. It has a pureness of the beauty of the moment. A natural moment is unique, like a magic chemical, instant. My pictures are raw and full of natural emotion.
"Dream Life" from the Renaissance Series by Delphine Diallo
You created a body of work called “Renaissance,” which captures images from your trip to Senegal? Can you share with us what you learned from your experience in Senegal and what you wanted to capture in pieces inspired by that trip?
I FLEW to Saint-Louis, Senegal, land of her ancestors, in search of Something permanent. “Renaissance” is the body of work that resulted from this trip. It is a series of stories in which the protagonists are heroes of ancient tales, where beauty and violence coexist on parallel planes, the one reflected and made possible only by the other. The men and women featured in “Renaissance” are spiritually strong, beautiful, full of life, and proud despite life’s cruelty. In “The Beautiful Ones,” Anta, an eleven-year-old girl appears frequently in the photographs, symbolizing youthful strength, potential and innocence not yet lost. Khady Kebe & Loli, two seventeen year olds represent young ladies full of life, joy, and (perhaps naïve) hope for a better future. Kine Diop is a twenty eight-year-old who represents the proud African queen, symbolic of maturity and serenity in the face of hardship. My work is often autobiographical and these women are me at various stages of my own life. The images encountered are filled with weakness and suffering. “The Goats” depicts tranquility and slaughter, innocence as well as a supreme vulnerability culminating in death. “Le Boucher” is the story of a slayer, one who carves food from the dead to sustain life. He represents the cycle of life – destruction, distress, and the raw violence of reality in balance with life-sustaining nourishment and renewal. metaphorically, “Le Boucher” also represents a broken heart cut in pieces. The flesh is dead and from this carcass the spirit is reborn.
"Universal Magazine" and "Superstar" by Delphine Diallo
"Oulofs" from the Magic Photo Studio Series by Delphine Diallo
Could you talk about the use of collage and layering in your art? What draws you to merge photography and other mediums as seen in your collection “Magic Photo Studio”?
Photography is a process that can be reproduced and copied. I was trying to find a way to do something unique, so… I was definitely interested in drawing on top of it. The purpose of “magic photo studio” was to create a strong link with my family that i just discovered. It was also a powerful message about giving love through photography to the one who makes your life beautiful.
You once said your art reflects “spirituality and lots of love.” Can you say more about that? Would you consider yourself spiritually grounded and do you think that helps your art?
Being spiritual is sometimes something that you have in yourself since you are born. Let’s just say that for me, I was already with strong spirit but I didn’t know what it was. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s like having a lot of energy and feeling and not knowing how to use and control it for a long time. The maturity and experience help you to channel this power and transform it through art. Love, love is the key. It is hard to love yourself and be confident but that’s the first part, to be able to embrace your spirit.
Art is the battery, a meditative process to connect with yourself… you will believe I am crazy… but I think we should be able to be educated this way. Our wisdom and connection to the planet have been lost growing up in the 21st century.
What does living unchained mean to you?
I am, and my life is a journey to discover everyday what I’m going to become–with no fear.
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Follow more of Delphine’s art, thoughts and musings on her blog, http://delphinediallo.wordpress.com/, and visit her professional site at http://www.delphinediawdiallo.com/.
Imagine all who are inspirited by Africa – all whose lives and hearts have been touched by the spirit of the continent – sharing their passion through collaboration, in the name of mutual empowerment. –Lulu Kitololo
Illustration by Lulu Kitololo
Lulu Kitololo is a self-defined “ideamonger,” using painting, graphic design, illustration, writing and workshops, to tell stories that honor the beauty in women, Africa, life and nature. Lulu is creator of the Afri-love blog, which explores the connections between creativity, self-love and growth for Africans and those inspired by the continent. The blog features commentary, interviews, resources and reviews on art and culture.
Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Lulu moved to New York to earn a BFA in Communications Design from Pratt Institute. After working there as an advertising Art Director, she moved to the UK to pursue a Master’s in African Studies at the University of London.
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Can you tell us about Afri-love?
Afri-love is a feeling. I remember being this really opinionated, patriotic kid, before I even really knew anything … about anything! When I left Kenya to pursue higher education in the US, I gained an even greater interest in where I came from. I was constantly meeting Africans, from all over the continent, and I observed that, diverse as our homelands were, there was so much we had in common. Especially, a love for the lands that were so much a part of us, no matter where we happened to be.
Design by Lulu Kitololo
Last year, I finally gave a name to that strong feeling and created an online space to express it, to share it with others and to collect all the expressions of it that I could find. I like to think of the website as a community for creativity and passion for Africans and all those who identify with or have an affinity for the continent.
Essentially, it’s a blog where you can find African and African-inspired art, design, literature and more. One of my favorite aspects is the interviews. I’ve had the opportunity to profile some amazing people who are living their passions and who are inspired by and devoted to Africa.
The vision of love you describe on Afri-Love is beautiful. You say:
Imagine Africans who love who they are, as they are, and so love each other and the environment that nurtures them. Confident and assertive, they are engaged in charting their growth and celebrating success as defined on their own terms.
Imagine all who are inspirited by Africa – all whose lives and hearts have been touched by the spirit of the continent – sharing their passion through collaboration, in the name of mutual empowerment.
What compelled you to write this as you did?
Posted in Africa, Art, Bloggers, Blogging, Graphic Design, Illustration, Kenya, Live Unchained, Self
