Another Africa

Emeka Alams | Live From The Coast

Mikaela Gauer — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:01:13 +0000

Another Africa caught up with Emeka Alams, an art director, designer, and the creative visionary behind the brand Gold Coast Trading Co. Apart from building GCTC, Emeka spends his days photographing life in Abidjan, collaborating on various projects with musicians, artists, and brands, and travelling. Incredibly down-to-earth, genuine and passionate, Emeka shared his thoughts about growing up in America, moving to Cote D’Ivoire, fashion, and his creative process.

Emeka Alams. Photo | Sarah De Burgh.

You are American, born to Nigerian parents and raised in Seattle. Tell us about your relationship to Africa.

Emeka Alams | It was strange to be brought up in America but not have that be my complete culture. When I was young, I looked at Africa with a distant curiosity, yet it was still more familiar at times than American culture. I always felt like there were two very contrasting images of Africa, being raised in America the images of home were normally of war, sickness and poverty. The continent is presented in a very one-dimensional way, which is so far from the truth. By contrast, being the first generation in America meant that I knew from how my parents lived, what life was really like back home in Nigeria. At that point, we were American kids raised by African parents. To be “African” was a means of discipline. If I acted up in school, my mother would say, “You’d better stop or I’m sending you back to Africa.” So I wasn’t into it, but when I finally made the decision to go, everything just clicked. I felt like I finally understood. And now that I’ve lived here, I have a complete picture.

When did you first visit the continent?

EA | In 2001, a good family friend came to Seattle to visit his mother, and he invited me to come to Cote D’Ivoire. He had been living there for about 30 years, and the way he described it – no one has ever described it like that. Not even my parents. He spoke about the quality of life, the culture, the natural beauty – he was going on and on about how I just had to come and experience it. He told me “when you get there, you’ll love and it and you’ll never want to leave.” I was really impressed by the way he described Africa! It sounded like a spiritual and physical paradise. So a few weeks later I had my ticket, and by the end of the year, I was in Abidjan.

How have your parents influenced your work and perspective?

EA | My mom was the perfect example of putting the needs of others before your own, so that’s what I strive for in all areas of my life including whatever I do for money. Any little money I ever made went straight back into volunteering and supporting Liberian refugees in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. Now as the brand begins to grow, I’m looking into ways to continue to support Africa in practical ways through local production and sourcing with fair wages.

Faith and determination are hallmarks of family and business… sometimes to a default. Growing up, my mom worked three jobs in addition to raising four kids. She did that knowing it would lay a solid foundation for us. She taught us how to work for what we wanted and not to be reliant on a broken system. So when times are difficult, I reflect back on her example. As a child, she helped to rebuild her family business after surviving the Biafra war. This has given me the ability to prioritize what I do, with a proper perspective on life and business. My mom had faith that though life is not easy, with a bit of hard work we can endure anything and come out stronger.

What inspired you to begin Gold Coast Trading Co? Where does the name come from?

EA | After spending a couple of years on and off in Africa (mostly in Cote D’Ivoire and Ghana), I wanted to create some way to capture what I had seen here and bring it back to the States. When I left my first brand and design company to start GCTC, I wanted a name that was more connected to a certain time and place. So I spent a couple of weeks researching a name that would encompass that, in addition to the geographical area of West Africa where I’ve spent years living. “Gold Coast Trading” reflected that. At one point in time during the British rule, “Gold Coast” referred to the area of land from western Ivory Coast to the eastern tip of Nigeria. That general area also served as the main export of slaves to America and Europe. Though that trade was horrendous, it brought with it culture, food, language and music which continue to define and influence not just Western culture but the world.

How has the brand grown?

EA | I’ve always done what was realistic for the times. We started with t-shirts, and now we have full range of cut-and-sew pieces, including shoes. As I get older, I’m really trying to deconstruct crazy ideas by breaking them apart and using part of an idea or pattern, and letting that grow into its own concept.

Since I’ve been back here in Africa, I have seen the need to fine tune what I’m doing, not only design-wise but in the overall concept and execution. So I’ve started to expand how the brand can communicate and the various avenues in which I can do that.

How do you feel, being back in Abidjan now?

EA | When I first came, I was volunteering with Liberian refugees. Those times really formed me, but I wasn’t looking for anything. I came here this time because I needed to be here. After several years of not being in Africa, I needed to take a long break to focus on the brand. It was getting to the point that if I didn’t come back, I was going to pass out on my desk and that would be it. I came back to work on myself, take care of my health, and re-evaluate.

I’m so inspired again. I’ve been taking road trips across the country, from Abidjan to the border of Liberia. Seeing all these little villages was pretty amazing – we would stop, greet the chief, sometimes sit and eat with families along the way. This is also the first time I’ve seen some of my friends since the first civil war in 2002. Hearing their stories has been absolutely mind blowing. This trip has been very unique, maybe because with age comes maturity, but I want to add more dignity to the line overall, to the attitude of the line. I want to add more realism to what I’m doing.

What inspired your latest collection, S/S 2012 “Winds from the North”?

EA | The season in West Africa called Harmattan, where sand blows down from the Sahara and turns the sky all kinds of amazing hues, so I tried to reflect that in the palette and the tones of the pieces and get a bit of the dusty feel with washed out colours. Harmattan is one of the few times in West Africa where there is sun but it’s still on the cooler side.

When it came to shooting the lookbook, I wanted something simple, clean and cool in tone. It was also a great opportunity for me to finally work with good friends. I’ve been trying to shoot Adesuwa for years now, and she was great to shoot. Her pictures came out perfect, in spite of the fact that we had to shoot in a freezing cold industrial space. It was also the first time I worked with Bo Streeter since launching GCTC, and his lighting and perspective always makes for beautiful photographs.

Your work was recently featured in Helen Jenning’s book “New African Fashion”. What does that term, “African fashion”, mean to you?

EA | I guess “African fashion” can be defined as fashion that comes from Africa, or by designers with African origins. I think the goal of many African designers, especially those based in Africa, was to achieve their much-deserved recognition on an international level, like many Europeans or American designers get, and there is now a growing opportunity for that, and many of them can take advantage of this time to grow and capitalise on the spotlight. Yet while some really unique things can and are being done with fashion in Africa, it is really hard to slap a label on an entire continent of designers.

The whole “Africa thing” has become very fashionable. I don’t want to be defined as just an “African designer” or my design work to be distilled to something “African inspired”. Major labels are doing that, capitalising on its current popularity; but to them it’s a wave of fashion. But, at some point, it’s not going to be so cool. So I’m not overly interested in being linked to that – I just want to be a designer and whatever comes out of that is what I’ll work my way through.

What is your vision for your work and GCTC?

EA | In the short term, I’d like to move production to Africa and then release a few non-fashion projects and collaborations for the brand. Long term, I just want to let it grow into whatever it will become while keeping the right perspective and original objectives in mind.

The notion that you can be the change you want to see and it can affect a small group, that’s all the change we need. It’s not about coming back and preaching about how Africa needs to do this or be that. It’s not that simple, and it’s a much bigger picture. I want to make sure I’m continuing to be responsible with how I portray Africa, even with something like my choice of textiles. I want to work harder to create something that I feel is more representational of what I see on the ground everyday, what is going on right now, and also respect its history. That’s the story clothes can tell, the story I can share as a designer.

Africa is a powerhouse. There’s so much to be discovered, and to be inspired by. And I want to treat it with a high level of dignity and truth, in everything that I do, whether it be in photography, books, design, creative collaborations – and it can’t be glossy or shiny all the time. That’s not the reality of any culture.

Scope Emeka’s work at before1444.com and follow him on Twitter @gctc

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Adornate.one

Missla Libsekal — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:30:53 +0000

From The Guise Of Many

From the guise of many,
we fall into the guise of one
creating within it
our own mystery.
Within the guise of many,
we still try to hide our all.
We pretend to be the one,
but in fact,
we are always the many.
Our name remains
always the same
with just a touch of mystery.

David Harris, May.22.2008

Adornate, is a series created by K.L.V. in collaboration with Another Africa. The images take inspiration from the traditions of the masquerade as found throughout West Africa. The ingenuity of their creators, to draw from the closet of mother nature and fashion otherworldly disguises. Adornate builds on that inspiration, presenting a contemporary take on the age old traditions of adorning and disguising oneself.

–

About

UK based milliner Keiron LeVine, K.L.V. is captivated by the rich and diverse animal kingdom, drawing inspiration from it constantly, and strongly believing in the natural world’s importance to the arts, fashion and indeed life in general. He graduated in Illustration which informed his passion for body adornment in the form of collage, with particular importance to the head. After university, K.L.V. began creating 3-Dimensional headwear from paper or collage, some of which were featured in Winchester Fashion Week 2011. K.L.V.’s love for headwear was intensified upon beginning a millinery internship, where he learnt a wealth of traditional techniques allowing him to appreciate the true art of the hat. Since then K.L.V. has released his first independent headwear collection entitled ‘Ancestors’, inspired by the intrinsic link between human, animal and adornment.

itsfine-levine.blogspot.com

Gratitude to Josh Pushkin for portrait photography.

Ananias Léki Dago | Shebeen Blues

Stephanie Baptist — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:45:14 +0000

At first glance, one can see that Ananias Léki Dago has an impenetrable bond with photography. There is a slow deliberateness to his creative process, with particular attention paid to the subtleties of a gesture, a landscape or a place that might have otherwise been missed. His purposeful images, primarily in black and white, have a linear continuity often found in documentary projects that span years at a time. Léki Dago’s ‘photographic grammar’ can be described as framing, composition and shadows. Together they create intricate social examinations of life.

Léki Dago is a self-proclaimed ‘young dinosaur’ that remains dedicated to the use of film and the perfection of his craft, in an era where digital advancements are rampant. For him, photography is often a therapeutic process. From a young age he embarked upon what he calls an intimate relationship with photography, which in turn has affected his view on life, as told through the lens of his Leica M6 camera.

Over an email exchange we spoke with him about his photographic book Shebeen Blues, his project with photography Biennial, Bamako Encounters and how he balances his analogue preferences alongside digital progress.

Ananias Léki Dago, Shebeen Blues, Alexandra, Township, 2008.

What is the inspiration behind Shebeen* Blues?

Ananias Léki Dago | When I was a young boy, I had two countries I dreamed of: Senegal and South Africa. I am in love with the cultures of both, something I cannot explain, it is just a feeling. My first meeting with Johannesburg was in 2006. One day Andrew Tshabangu, a friend and South African photographer, and I took a walk around Soweto. After a long walk, we were thirsty and he suggested we quench our thirst in a Shebeen. I didn’t know what it was but I was curious. I remember we were in Zola, Soweto. We entered a shebeen there, and I received a very strong feeling. I began asking questions about it, I am very curious. From the different answers I received, I quickly understood that shebeens were a phenomenon that played a very important role in the history (political, cultural, social) of the country. I decided to do a story on shebeens for three reasons: (1) my love for the country, (2) relevance of the story, (3) I found shebeens to be very photogenic.

There is an essay accompaniment to Shebeen Blues, written by Mongane Wally Serote, titled The Wheel is Still in Spin. How did this come about?

ALD | Andrew Tshabangu introduced me to the writer Mongane Wally Serote, when I finished working on the subject in 2009. Serote knows the subject very well, as he was an activist for freedom during the apartheid period. He told me stories about how they used to meet clandestinely with other brothers in shebeens. On top of that I like his work; he is a brilliant person. When my publishers wanted to publish a book on my Shebeen work, I showed Serote my work and asked him to write a short story. We wanted two different stories, one from the photographer – who visited the shebeens in the post apartheid period, and another from the writer – who survived that period.

Is Shebeen Blues a metaphor for loneliness or is it a social commentary about the effects of ones environment?

ALD | I think that it’s about both. My photographic language is subjective; the opposite of photojournalism, hence all I do is about my own feelings. I don’t take pictures unless I feel closest to my own truth. This harmonious [balance] is decisive when I have to work. It’s like my compass. Yes, I’m lonely, despite being surrounded by people. It’s a state of mind. I went into shebeens with that feeling that is part of me. That’s why I added “blues” to shebeens. On the other hand, in spite of my subjective point of view my work can be classified as documentary, because I take pictures from reality. I document what happens around me from a subjective point of view.

There is an intimacy yet respectful distance in your photographs between you and the subjects. Did you establish relationships between you and your subjects?

ALD | I feel most comfortable engaging with people when I have the camera with me. I take care not to invade people’s space. Although I can feel comfortable with the subjects after spending a long time around them, I don’t loose that decency when I bring out my camera. In the case of shebeen’s, it was much more tricky and delicate. As you see, shebeens are a place where people go to drink. I had to respect their intimacy as I wasn’t there to judge them but rather to share, which is about respect and love. On behalf of sharing, I drank a lot with people and it was a way to involve not only my spirit but also my body in the subject. I needed it.

In 2011, you curated a show with local photographers during Bamako Encounters. How did this come about, and what was the feedback from the local community?

ALD | I was chosen by Samuel Sidibé, the director of the Museum of Mali. Samuel wanted to provide a platform to local photographers, so that they would receive visibility during the Biennial. I led the workshop, based on the same theme from Bamako Encounters, “A Sustainable World,” – we gave local photographers an opportunity to share their point of view. The workshop was a great experience for me as well as the Malian photographers. I tried to make them aware of the importance of defining themselves, instead of being defined by others. Plus as photographers, I told them they had the power in their hands to respond with their work, to the negative pictures showered throughout the media about Africa. We all are struggling for another Africa. I think it was a good start, and I hope the experience will be renewed.

In a world where technology is advancing and everyone can pick up their iPhone or digital camera, how do you remain dedicated to the craft?

ALD | Changes always come with both a sweet and bitter taste. It depends how people adjust themselves and take what they really need from these advancements. I know some photographers still working with box cameras. In the same vein, digital had its revolution in 2000. Photography is still the most productive medium. Digital has changed a lot of things, but I refuse to see it as threatening. I see the progress; it’s cheaper, faster and much more accessible. And moreover it comes with its own aesthetic, which is different from analog’s. I take what I really need from that progress. I scan my negatives so that I can send them via the Internet or put them on the web, which is fine. I even have my own printer, another old dinosaur, a very experienced man; Toros is his name. We both go into his darkroom to develop my pictures. It’s a delight working with him in the darkness. Since I have access to the Western world where it’s still possible to find film and chemicals, I make the most of that. However, I think of my colleagues who are in Africa, where it’s not easy anymore to find these things. In that case, digital can be a very important option to keep on working.

Where do you currently reside?

ALD | Honestly, I must admit that I’m like a modern nomad. I have one foot in Paris and the other roams around Africa. I have a strong interest in what happens on the continent. Currently, I spend a lot of time in Bamako, finishing up a project that I have been working on since 2006. It began around the same time as Shebeen Blues. Ivory Coast is the country where I was born, so I go there as well.

What inspires you?

ALD | Two things feed me. The street, I love being on the street watching people and secondly, Blues music.

*A ‘Shebeen’ can be described as an illegal bar or club where alcoholic beverages are sold without a license. Under apartheid many black South Africans were unable to consume alcohol legally, and shebeens were established in resistance to the laws, and became settings for refuge, entertainment and social dialogue. Many Shebeens in South Africa are now legal.

About

Ananias Léki Dago was born in 1970 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He studied at the Institut National Supérieur de l’Action et de l’Animation Culturelle in Abidjan from 1990 – 1993. In 2000 and 2002, he initiated and coordinated the Recontres du Sud (Southern Encounters), a month long photography biennial in his home -town. A nomadic traveler, exploring other cultures is an essential ingredient to his work. He has ventured to the Caribbean, Middle East, Europe as well as throughout Africa. Léki Dago has numerous accolades, such as first prize of PhotoAfrica on his work on identity in 2009, and is a part of several collections in Europe and the US. Léki Dago works with the Jean Brolly Gallery in Paris, France and the Sanaa Gallery in Utrech, Holland.

jeanbrolly.com

galeriesanaa.nl

PETROU\MAN – A Totemic Fashion Anthropology

Joyce Bidouzo-Coudray — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:24:50 +0000

Nicolas Petrou is what you might call a modern age anthropologist; an insatiable voyageur who is unequivocally fascinated by the mystic of ancient cultures and the folklore of tribal sociologies; yet he operates ‘fashion’ as a medium of choice to express his endowment with the distinctive dash of idiosyncrasy and unmistakable wit that confirm him as a household name to be reckoned with.

Shortly after graduating from London’s Central Saint Martin School of Design in 1993, the Cypriote born designer settles in New York City where he initially works for various local fashion companies before deciding to establish the Petrou\Man label merely 3 years ago. Since then, the brand has been recognised as a beacon for alternative menswear elegance and has received continuous critical acclamation from the international fashion elite.

The style aesthetic of Petrou\Man is most recognisable through its elaborate mix of prints, colours and texture layering. Using both traditional and modern fabrics that range from hand-dyed tartans to organic cotton and jersey wool as well as microfibers, nylon and metallic leather, the collections offer a modern take on refined classical menswear with a twist of tribal sophistication.

After last season’s Guatemalan opus, for spring 2012, Petrou\Man takes inspiration from West Africa and succeeds in materialising the essence of contemporary Afro-dandyism.

As always, the collection is a remarkable study of layering with many pieces featuring intricate hand embellishments and playing on shapes with asymmetrical shirts, panelled pants with odd cuts and more so, a masterful amalgamation of Wax prints.

The results are truly innovative silhouettes that pay a vibrant homage to the continent’s unmistakable style heritage while confirming the designer’s unique ability to create incredibly rich textures.

Short multi-fabric jackets are worn over longer clean cut shirts, structured pants or tailored shorts with raw hems for a more organic appeal. Petrou\Man’s signature style of clashing sportswear and tailoring influences serves once more as the matrix for a hybrid collection comprising many collectors’ items.

The colour story consists of khaki, yellow and amber which together with denim blue and off-white tones, are beautifully combined with a myriad of fine prints that bring strength and cohesiveness to a collection of highly covetable ‘Neo classics’; which is exactly what sets this label apart from the rest of the pack.

As always, the attention to details, nearly obsessive, is brought to its paroxysm; even the shoes have been customised to the max. The label holds tremendous control over production as nothing is sent to factories. This higher standard in quality is achieved by an in house team of tailors and seamstresses who dedicate considerable time and love to each piece, like devoted apostles to the totemic Petrou god of style, and to which any well discerning aficionados would be eager to abide with.

This season, Petrou\Man collaborated with artists Stephen Shanabrook and Veronika Georgieva to create a limited edition series of three hand manipulated art works entitled “Satisfied”. The duo previously collaborated with emblematic fashion houses by the likes of Comme des Garçons for their ss10 promotional campaign. Their work is also part of various public and private art collections, including David Walsh’s controversial Moma Museum and Damien Hirst “MurderM” collection.

PETROU\MAN fashion collections are currently available at select stores worldwide including: OAK (New York), I.T. (Hong Kong), SHIPS (Japan).

For more insight, go to: petrouman.com

All Images courtesy of Petrou\Man.

Diptych Part IV | Masquerade Pantomimicry

Missla Libsekal — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:00:40 +0000

‘Masquerade Pantomimicry‘, inspired by West African masqueraders. A collaboration project with K.L.V.

On view, the ingenuity of African masqueraders, gleaning mother nature’s closet to create visually arresting disguises. Juxtaposed with contemporary art and fashion images, the pairings highlight the qualities that connect, complement and contrast, but ultimately celebrate creative ingenuity.

This the final edition of the diptych series.

Diptych.four

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Baby Dance of Etikpe, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Vogue Homme Japan Beauty. Photo | Willam Selden. Styling | Nicola Formichetti. Hair & Make-up | Katsuya Kamo. Photo courtesy of Vogue Homme Japan.

(L) Photo courtesy of Eliot, Elisofon and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.
Masked performers wearing Chi wara headdresses known as N’Gonzon Koun (antelope) circa Bamako, Mali, 1970.

(R) Bamana Chi wara pair from Mali. Image courtesy of Discover African Art.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Affianwan, Calabar South, Nigeria, 2005. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) White Crested Black Polish Hen, Studio Series. Image courtesy of My Pet Chicken.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Panther Masquerade, Samaga Village, Burkina Faso, 2006. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Agate Drusy Ring by Joya, South Africa

(L) Phyllis Galembo,, Jaquar style of Ekong-Itaghafon, Calabar, Nigeria, 2005. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Image credit unknown | source | barriobajero

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Ngar Ball Traditional Masquerade Dance, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Issey Miyake by Irving Penn, S/S 1994 – The Flying Saucer.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Egungun, Djidjimbo Safou Ognon Warrior, Adandokpodji Village, Benin, 2006. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Gabríela Friðriksdóttir , Endless Light. Courtesy of the artist and Osram.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Burkina Faso, 2006. Image courtesy of the artist and LN-CC.

(R) AKATRE, Kreyol Factory, Contest for La Vilette.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Ekpe, Calabar South, Nigeria, 2005. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Francis Montesinos, A | W 2009. Source | Trend De La Creme.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Atam Masquerader, Alok Village, Nigeria, 2004. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Nicole Dextras, Cabbage Smock, Weedrobes Wardrobes, Weedrobes – Summer. Image courtesy of the artist.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Gwarama Masquerade, Yegueresso Village, Burkina Faso, 2006. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Yam & Walnut packaging, Package Design in Japan, Taschen, 1989.

(L) The Beri – Nyna, or men’s devil of Western Liberia (The Bundu of Sierra Leone), circa 1906. Source | NYPL Digital Gallery.

(R)Walter Van Beirendonck, Paris, A/W 2011 Menswear. Photo: Umberto Fratini / GoRunway.com. Courtesy of style.com

–

About

itsfine-levine.blogspot.com

Diptych Part III | Masquerade Pantomimicry

Missla Libsekal — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:00:27 +0000

‘Masquerade Pantomimicry‘, inspired by West African masqueraders. A collaboration project with K.L.V.

Diptych.three

(L) Yaie Masquerade, Burkina Faso. Photographer unknown. Source | artismyhustle

(R) Guido Palau, ‘Mohawk V2′ for the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” exhibition. Photographs by Graeme Montgomery. Courtesy of the New York Times, T Magazine.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Minor Ekpe Masquerade with Mango Leaves, Calabar South, Nigeria, 2005. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) BLESS, N°43 Know Howowow, 14.03.2011, Hélène.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Agot Dance Group, Etikpe Village, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004 Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Issey Miyake. Photo | Irving Penn.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Burkina Faso, 2006. Image courtesy of the artist and LN-CC.

(R) Henrik Vibskov, The Fringe Project #10.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Gwarama Masquerade, Yegueresso Village, Burkina Faso, 2006. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Iris Van Herpen, Mummification A| W 2009 collection.

(L) The Beri – Nyâna, or men’s devil of Western Liberia (The Bundu of Sierra Leone), circa 1906. Source: NYPL Digital Gallery.

(R) Nick Cave, Soundsuit 2011. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Sierra Leone, 2008-2009. Image courtesy of the artist.

(R) Killian Loddo, Fantastic Goodbuy – Entity.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Baby Dance of Etikpe, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Lucas Simões, Desretratos series.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Akata Dance Masqueraders, Ogoja, Nigeria, 2004. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Rozalb de Mura S|S 2010 Collection.

(L) Phyllis Galembo, Abora Traditional Masquerade, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004. Image courtesy of the artist and Tang Museum.

(R) Michael Lau S|S 2010. Photo | Getty.

–

About

itsfine-levine.blogspot.com

Tell Nobody | mixtape by athi-patra ruga

Another Africa — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:56:48 +0000

Uncles Touch, the moniker that South African artist Athi-Patra Ruga goes by when he hits the decks, sends us from Cape Town with love the mixtape ‘Tell Nobody’ made especially for Another Africa. One more reason to love him, though we really don’t need anymore. So kick-back, relax, your in Uncles excellent hands.

Track List

About

Athi-Patra Ruga (b. 1984, Umtata, South Africa) explores the border-zones between fashion, performance and contemporary art, he makes work that exposes and subverts the body in relation to structure, ideology and politics. Bursting with eclectic multicultural references, carnal sensuality and a dislocated undercurrent of humor, his performances, videos, costumes and photographic images create a world where cultural identity is no longer determined by geographical origins, ancestry or biological disposition, but is increasingly becoming a hybrid construct. A Utopian counter-proposal to the sad dogma of the division between mind and body, sensuality and intelligence, pop culture, craft and fine art, his works expresses the eroticism of knowledge and reconciles the dream with experience.

Recent exhibitions include the Performa 11 (2011), IFA Gallery, Stuttgart (2009); Stenersen Museum, Oslo (2008); and the Guangzhou Triennale, China (2008). Athi-Patra Ruga was also recently included in the Phaidon book Younger Than Jesus, a directory of over 500 of the world’s best artists under the age of 33

He is represented by Whatiftheworld Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa.

* Image | Kim Bowen modelling for Stephen Jones, 1979.

Georgie, Decidedly A Cheetah

Missla Libsekal — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 07:31:01 +0000

Last summer there were rumblings through the grapevine about a New York-based model launching a sustainable water project in West Africa. That tenacious individual is the statuesque Burkinabe, Georgie Badiel.

Georgie Badiel, 2012. Photo | Josh Pushkin

My love and everything that I have comes from Africa.

Fashion lovers familiar with African models are sure to recognise her. Svelte and chameleon-like, Georgie stormed onto the stage when she swept the title of Miss Africa held in Tunisia during 2004. Paris was soon to follow making her debut appearance for the prestigious house of Lanvin, helmed by Moroccan-born designer Albert Elbaz.

Her lithe legs have graced the catwalks of fashion’s hallowed names – from the staid to the avant-garde. Louis Vuitton, Diane Von Furstenberg, Rick Owens, Martin Margiela amongst others can be found in her repertoire along with being featured by designers Zang Toi, Chado Ralph Rucci and Arise magazine. In March of this year the publication honoured Badiel, awarding her female model of the year at the Arise Magazine Fashion Week held in Lagos, Nigeria.

Georgie’s long list of successes and accolades within the fashion world are numerous however, her ambitious path extends far beyond the catwalks of New York, Paris and Lagos.

I met with Georgie last summer where we first began this conversation. Though expecting to hear primarily about her water project, over the course of our talk unfurled a story to marvel.

As one of ten children, Georgie grew up in a household where giving a helping hand came as second nature. “I love helping, I was born in a big family” later adding “waiting for life is boring; I can’t be just a model walking the catwalk, my life does not stop there. I want to live life and be able to do many things.”

Badiel is a passionate woman marshalling her experience garnered in fashion to launch her own brand – a lingerie line called Georgie’s Garden. She quips, “All the inspiration for my garden is everything that I love. It’s Africa. Everything that I have, comes from Africa! I want to show the diversity. I can be inspired from Morocco, from South Africa, from Eritrea, from Burkina Faso, or even Cape Verde. The cultures from the south to west, north and east are so different. I want to show this diversity. Africa is the last continent to progress in terms of fashion. Now is the time for Africans to express ourselves.”

It is clear that this is no elevator pitch. She is aware of the challenges prevalent on the continent which she sheds light on a bit later, yet these words effortlessly roll off her tongue, suffused with a deep sense of pride, a respect for her history and heritage.

Over the course of our conversation questions hardly need to be asked; her poignant belief that Africa’s time is now propels our exchange forward. Georgie has no desire to wait, she wants to be a catalyst now. Her family still lives in Burkina Faso yet her vision is expansive. She is rolling up her sleeves to help her proverbial Burkinabe ‘sisters’ and ‘mothers.’ Though born in neighbouring West African nation Côte d’Ivoire [Ivory Coast], Badiel grew up in Burkina Faso calling it home until she was eighteen.

This country’s standard of living ranks depressingly low. As of 2009, according to the World Bank, 44.6% of the Burkinabe population was living well below the poverty line. The trend has been slowly inching towards improvement since 2003, however the continued severity of the economic problem for the masses indicates that much work lies ahead.

Like the metaphor of the humming bird by Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel laureate, the late Dr. Wangaari Maathai, Badiel is not standing by despite seemingly insurmountable odds. She believes that investment in skill building and job creation will work towards poverty alleviation and furthermore to the creation of sustainable economic growth, not only in Burkina Faso but also throughout the continent. Naturally this is not something that she anticipates materialising overnight, but nobody needs to tell her otherwise. After all this is the very woman who propelled herself from Ouagadougou to Paris, hard work and tenacity are not lost on her.

So she has decided to leverage her experience and relationships, developing her lingerie brand to be produced in Burkina Faso for the African market. “My vision is to create lingerie that flatters the African woman’s figure – we have rounder hips, thighs and derriere. My goal is to capture this market becoming the Victoria’s Secret of Africa.” In September 2012, Georgie’s Garden will launch in New York.

Between jet setting to fashion shows and shoots as well as nurturing Georgie’s Garden, Badiel has simultaneously launched two other projects. Georgie by Georgie’s Garden, a non-profit working to improve the lives of women in Burkina Faso; and Models 4 Water, a water development project spear-headed together with fellow model Heidi Lindgren, the face of GUESS by Marciano and director Max Crespo.

“You know how African mothers are, they have lived a lot of pain but they always give love to their kids. So I want to give love back, and give them sunshine from Georgie’s Garden by giving them skills to design, encouraging their confidence and inspiring their creativity.” For the time being her non-profit is working with eight women in the capital of Ouagadougou mobilising their skills on the loom and initiating the production of various fashion accessories.

Burkina Faso is renown for its cotton. Like many places in West Africa, woven cloth has held great cultural significance with patterns and techniques emblematic of specific regions and tribes. Her weavers specialise in Faso Dan Fani fabric of the Mossi people, traditionally cotton cloth woven in blue, white and black vertical strips.

Less than a year into operation, Georgie by Georgie’s Garden has already made it to New York’s runways. Quick to enlist clients such as designers Zang Toi and Jose Orellana, during the Spring | Summer 2012 fashion week, both designers previewed looks featuring Faso Dan Fani fabric. A milestone that Badiel was eager to convey to her eight ‘mothers’ as she fondly calls them, sharing successes in the face of adversity to continually nurture their confidence.

Strengthening the Ouagadougou team’s creative and technical acumen is a priority. To this end, Badiel has enlisted the support of New York based milliner Ellen Christine. The designer is currently developing various hats and scarves that she will then train Georgie’s ‘mothers’ to produce in Burkina Faso under the auspices of Fashion 4 Development.

This global campaign, in line with Badiel’s philosophy, addresses poverty to gender inequality issues through fashion-based initiatives. They recently enlisted the eminent Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia, Franca Sozzani as their global Goodwill Ambassador. Since her appointment the media, both industry and conventional news outlets have been following her movements which included trips to Ghana and Nigeria. With one savvy move fashion and Africa, is now less rare on the fashion news cycle. More will follow undoubtedly with her announcement that she is slated to travel to Botswana, Mozambique, Kenya and Ethiopia as she told industry publication WSJ in March.

The Ghanaian economist George Ayitteh was certainly speaking about Georgie and her generation when he coined the term Cheetah, to refer to young Africans who are seeking innovation and knowledge, and actively looking for solutions to their problems rather than the older generation whom he calls Hippos. The later, a rancorous lot seeking handouts, quick to blame others with their only claim to fame being that they are sending Africa to hell in a hand basket.

As a matter of fact, it is a parched hand basket. The reality for more than 80% of the people in Burkina Faso is having to walk hours daily in search of water. Their reward, being forced to drink poorly sanitized or germ-infested water that will surely make them sick or even worse, kill them.

When you grow up with the advantage of turning on a faucet and having an endless supply of clean water, empathy is possible but that very ease distances us from the daily reality that somewhere else on the planet this is a mirage. In Badiel’s case she has experienced this problem first hand, and it continues to hit close to home for even her family faces this reality.

Now a hippo would see this as someone else’s problem, yet Badiel thought otherwise. A late night conversation with Heidi Lindgren on the subject turned quickly to action. The duo decided they would put their faces to a different kind of a product, Models 4 Water.

Light-years away from the glamour of the catwalk, they have staked the claim that water is a human right. With Max Crespo their operating director, the trio has partnered with The Water Project to implement well drilling and education programs in Burkina Faso. They have kicked off various efforts to raise funds and gain visibility bolstered by strategic partnerships so far with Gilt City New York and Modelina.

Operating out of New York is more than ideal, this city is recognised as hub for corporate philanthropy. Successes to date include hosting a dinner at New York’s trendy Laconda Verde in Tribeca, raising more than thirty thousand dollars in one evening and making high profile public appearances such as ringing the opening bell for the NASDQ this past February.

For five thousand people in the Burkinabe village of Nakar, daily life just got easier with the first well drilled and operational as of February 2012 [view images]. They celebrated this success by using it as motivation to launch round two, financing their second well.

Mixing it up, their latest fundraising effort took them to Miami where they were welcomed by the fashion fold. Model Beach Volleyball Tournament 2012 invited them as this year’s charity partner. As the weekend wrapped up we spoke on the phone. The first thing Georgie shares is her gratitude for the several thousand dollars raised and the support given by her fellow models.

Throughout our numerous conversations a theme prevails, Georgie’s recognition that she is only one part of the equation. Regardless of size, she is never remiss to show her appreciation for the support she gains, Burkina Faso is never far from her mind.

With that she catches her flight back to New York and strides into preparations for the next engagement. Columbia University has invited her to speak at the 9th Annual African Economic Forum.

The cheetah and its Safari motif have been flogged, painting that ever so quaint image of Africa but in this case it means something altogether refreshing and new. Swift, deft and targeted, Georgie is decidedly a Cheetah, a member of a new generation and a marvel at that.

To learn more about Georgie’s projects and to see how to get involved visit.

models4water.org | facebook | twitter

Georgie’s Garden | facebook

For Georgie Badiel exclusive images for Another Africa.
Photography | Josh Pushkin, Styling | Maggie James, Hair | Hikaru Hirano

Clothing courtesy of Inner Tubing and Georgie Badiel.

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Diptych Part II | Masquerade Pantomimicry

Missla Libsekal — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:28:12 +0000

‘Masquerade Pantomimicry‘, inspired by West African masqueraders. A collaboration project with K.L.V.

Diptych.two

(L) Initiated boys dressed up in the Hihi Masquerade of the Igbo people circa Mgbom village, Afikpo area, Nigeria, 1959-1960.
Photo courtesy of Simon Ottenberg and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C..

(R) Nick Cave, Square Wire Scarf. Courtesy of the artist and soundsuitshop.com.

(L) Player wearing a female Ibibio mask at the Okumkpa performance of the Igbo people circa Mgbom village, Afikpo area, Nigeria, 1959-1960.
Photo courtesy of Simon Ottenberg and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.

(R) Dan-Aïdo Houèdo,(Benin) the sacred python, grasping its tail in its mouth, signifies continuity and the eternal return. Image source: unknown.

(L) Minganji masqueraders from the Pende peoples circa near Gungu, Democratic Republic of Congo, 1970.
Photo courtesy of Eliot, Elisofon and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.

(R) Portrait of Jean Arp.

(L) Photo courtesy of Eliot Elisofon and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.
Minganji masqueraders from the Pende peoples circa near Gungu, Democratic Republic of Congo, 1970.

(R) Thierry Despont, Mask 73, 2006. Courtesy of the artist and Marlborough Gallery, New York.

(L) Dyomo masqueraders during the Dama ceremony circa Sanga, Mali, 1970.
Photo courtesy of Eliot, Elisofon and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.

(R) Damien Hirst, Flumequine, 2007. Courtesy of the artist.

(L) Masked performer wearing Chi wara headdress circa Bougouni, Mali, 1970.
Photo courtesy of Eliot, Elisofon and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.

(R) Keith Haring, circa unknown.

(L) Masked performer with Ntomo mask, Bamako, Mali, 1971.
Photo courtesy of Eliot, Elisofon and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.

(R) Author unknown.

(L) Pair of Chi wara dancers, Mali. Image courtesy of Dr. Pascal James Imperto, 1970.

(R) Poul Beckman, Living Jewels - The Natural Design of Beetles, 2001.

(L) The Beri – Nyâna, or men’s devil of Western Liberia (The Bundu of Sierra Leone), circa 1906. Source: NYPL Digital Gallery

(R) Nick Cave, Soundsuit 2011. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

(L) Logholo masquerader in its variant form known as Okwo in the Njenji parade of the Igbo people circa Ukpa village, Afikpo area, Nigeria, 1959-1960.
Photo courtesy of Simon Ottenberg and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.

(R) Athi-Patra Ruga, …the naivety of Beiruth 3, 2008. Courtesy of the artist and Stevenson Gallery, Johannesburg.

(L) Masquerade at Ngashi of the Pende people circa Gungu, Democratic Republic of Congo, 1970.
Photo courtesy of Léon de photographer Sousberghe and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.

(R) Poul Beckman, Living Jewels – The Natural Design of Beetles,2001.

(L) Pair of masked dancers during a Gelede performance of the Yoruba people circa Meko, Nigeria, 1971.
Photo courtesy of Eliot, Elisofon and The National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.

(R) Sophie Taebuer-Arp & her sister, Erika Teuber, Zürich, 1922. Image courtesy of the Arp Museum.

The series

Diptych Part I| Masquerade Pantomimicry

–

About

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Mama Casset & The Studio Dream Factory

Missla Libsekal — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:49:33 +0000

Colonial era photography from Africa, is typically fraught by the problematic depiction of subject as specimen. No matter how majestic the individual, it carries with it that acrid tinge of sadness. That is the legacy of the European eye, it sought to either extol the so called benefits of colonialism, or paint a provincial and primitive picture for a European audience. The imperative being audience, for in the case of Senegal, the audience there sought an altogether different vision of themselves.

And so came about the Studio dream factories which transposed those desires into timeless artistry. Relevant then within their milieu, and finally now to a global audience ready to engage the complexity that always was. Paris Photo 2011, the world’s largest photography fair confirmed this very readiness. Under the fair’s chosen theme of African photography, the two most prominently featured photographers by gallerists and private collections alike, were Malian studio era maestros Malick Sidibé and Seydou Keïta.

Mama Casset like his Malian counterparts, was one of those ‘visionaires.’ A Senegalese photographer who acquired his technical skills as an apprentice to a European photographer, like so many other African studio photographers of that era. His story is likely to have been forgotten, especially due to a catastrophe that would befall his studio in 1984. However in 1992 , Senegalese photographer Bouna Médoune Seye organised a tribute and Casset’s first-ever solo exhibition at Parisian Gallery 39. Sadly, Casset would not live to see it, passing away a mere few weeks before the show’s inauguration. This step however, would once again bring him into the limelight, this time well beyond the borders of his native land.

He was born in 1920 in the administrative capital of the day, Saint-Louis. Casset was introduced to the world of photography at the tender age of twelve. His family had relocated to the economic capital of Dakar just two years before, which is where he would meet French photographer Oscar Lataque, a friend of his father’s. Upon completing elementary school, Casset became an employee of Comptoir photographique de l’Afrique Occidental Française, a photographic store run by another French gentleman by the name of Tennequin who he would apprentice under.

From there his next venture led him to join the photographic department of the French Air Force. A curious fellow, he was eager to see the world and its lands, a desire encouraged during his military tour, as he travelled throughout the region documenting mostly aerial images of ‘French West Africa.’ In 1942, he left military service. By 1943 he had established a name for himself, opening his first photographic studio, African Photo in the centre of Dakar’s Medina, a lively commercial district.

Casset grew renown photographing members of his social circle. Word quickly got out and before long, he was masterfully composing images of Dakar’s residents, urban Africans from all walks of life and varying social strata. By 1960, with independence came the demise of the European studio. Casset thought it timely to open his second outpost in M’Bour, a coastal town south of Dakar. He flourished, becoming one of the top photographers of his day.

Things were however to take a tragic turn in the later years of his life. By 1983 Casset was completely blind and forced to retire. Adding insult to injury, the following year his studio caught fire destroying the majority of his archives. The few images remaining, hidden from public view, and scattered in the photo albums and personal collections of Dakar’s families. As Revue Noire‘s publishers so poignantly phrase it, “therein lies the difficulty of promoting such an artist; of being able to ascribe him his rightful place in the history of Senegalese and African photography with the few images that are available. But what wonderful images they are!”

Mama Casset’s images are made unique through his masterful eye and artistic compositions. As a portrait photographer, Casset saw himself as an ‘artist’; he had no interest to portray real life as could be implied by the very nature of the medium. Directing his sitters with a tilt of the head, or a tight framing and sometimes shooting from a low-angle; he created his signature style, compositions that put the irrevocable stamp of Mama Casset all over them. Like the Malian photographer Seydou Keïta in his earlier years, Casset only used a simple curtain as a backdrop, bringing all attention to the fore, his subject.

His surviving images grant viewers today, the opportunity to see the urban Senegalites, from the turn of the 20th century as they saw themselves, as proud individuals. These images confer a small taste of the seductive power inherit to the mastery of a great – such as Casset was, and continues to be as his images live on.

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The following introduction is based on the book Mama Casset, African Photo published by Paris-based Revue Noire, written by Pascal Martin Saint Leon and Jean Loup Pivin.

Mama Casset, the small format [13 x 18 cm] book showcasing 70 black and white photographs by Mama Casset is available exclusively through Revue Noire, Paris | more info

All images courtesy of Maison Revue Noire.