IN CONVERSATION WITH RYAN ECCLESTON

Jamaica-born photographer and filmmaker, Ryan Eccleston, came onto our radar recently. His main aim of documenting the black experience in its vastness drew our attention to him. He seems to be both writing and rewriting the story of the Global South in his own way with his constant exploration. We had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his work and travels.

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

Hi, I’m Ryan Eccleston. I am a photographer & filmmaker. I was born in Kingston, Jamaica. However, I would describe my childhood as being very nomadic. So one could say it wasn’t a “normal” childhood. At 6 months old I moved to Cairo, Egypt and then later on to a small beach town in Northern Israel called Nahariyya. I pretty much spent my early years traveling between Lebanon, Cyprus, Syria, Jamaica, and The U.S as well. All this traveling was due to my dad working as a field service officer for the United Nations. We were always in transit and some form movement. But at 8 years old my father wanted us to get more acquainted with our culture. So he decided to settle us in Jamaica.

What ignited your interest in travel and documenting humanity within different cultures?

Because of the situation in my household where we would be in one situation for 6 months or a year etc. The fact that within a 2-hour flight we could be speaking a different language and being around different people. This was really highly stimulating to me as a child. It made me understand that this same world and time could be viewed totally differently. Considering who you were speaking to and from what perspective.

Could you recount a particular experience you’ve documented which struck you as particularly memorable?

A memorable experience for me, hmm… I would have to say filming and photographing in the Afar region of Ethiopia was an experience that stayed with me for many years. This was back in 2009. I had just moved to Ethiopia, my mind was just so open. I was 28 at the time and was just ready to see more of the world. It started out with me seeing images of the Afar region while I was in Addis Ababa. After that, I just began to read so much about the area and people. Then I made up my mind that I wanted to go. The region is very hot, the hottest place I’ve experienced ever. It was a very physically grueling experience, I fell ill due to the heat. But I overcame that to create a body of work that I was proud of. The landscape, the people, everything! I had never experienced anything like that before or after in my life. The frankness of the people that lived in the region and how they dealt with the reality of living in that environment. Even though I had been to many places and many experiences, this was something that stuck with me over the years. I have fond memories of those times.

Tell us about how you build relationships with your subjects (if at all you do), and how this contributes to the storytelling in your pieces.

I love having conversations with people whether we have the same viewpoint on a matter or not. I love learning! I really don’t mind being wrong. So many times, a lot of my work comes from an organic place. It normally starts with an itch I want to scratch (knowledge wise). So, many times a relationship is built around a debate or viewpoint on a subject. Many times my camera doesn’t even come out until the very end of that journey of discovery. So a lot of my images are results of conversations and some form of extensive research.

Your work centers on the human condition - specifically the black experience. What are your observations on what this experience is? Why have you chosen to report it, and how does it reflect in your work?

Well, I will start with by saying this, my choice of documenting the black experience was because it was a mirror to myself and my experiences. Being black, there were certain experiences that my subjects and I could connect on, even though being black is not a monolith. I like looking at the diversity of that experience, which goes from the Caribbean, mainland U.S.A, and the African continent and so on.

At what point do the narratives in your work develop? Is it something that is preconceived, or found in the editing room?

I would say the narratives are preconceived. 100%, these are things thought about beforehand consciously or subconsciously.

There is a wealth of documentation of the Global South. Many of which come from external voices. How do you think your voice, as someone from this area of the world, contributes to telling its story?

Yes, definitely there is a wealth of documentation about the Global South. But even though we are increasingly more privy to information etc. there are still stigmas, misconceptions, and half-truths that exist. A single narrative is always a dangerous thing. Growing up I would always notice how developing and poorer “Third World” countries were often portrayed and illustrated by the news. There was rarely, if any, nuance to a story. “These people were to be pitied not respected”, you the viewer should be thankful that you did not suffer this misfortune of being from one of these God-forsaken places. I think my voice contributes to telling the story because it is my reality. Being from the Caribbean and living in Africa we have similar challenges and concerns. Different but similar. There is a familiarity there, so my aim is to use my privilege of being able to travel and tell stories from a more intimate standpoint.

To discover and learn more about Ryan Eccleston as well as see more of his work visit his website here or his Instagram page here. Thank you for reading. 

Dá DESIGN STUDIO: VISUALISING IDENTITIES

By Eme Ukpong

There has always been some what of a distinction between art and design. Despite the shared ability of both in  providing aesthetic pleasure and communicating profound meanings, design (good design at least) almost always serves a purpose beyond this. As put perfectly by Brendan Dawes, "The difference between art and design is that design is all about answers and art is about questions". Design communicates information in ways that normative language cannot. In a world where first impressions are everything, good design can show you all you need to know about a brand before you have to ask.

This week, we got in touch with the two promising designers behind Dá Design Studio, a brand identity design firm based in Lagos. I was doing a bit of web surfing on design and came across an article on the pair. After looking into them a bit further, I stumbled unto a podcast series they had done detailing their experiences as designers living and working in Nigeria. Safe to say it was captivating enough for me to email them straight away! If you're into design, or just interested in hearing about navigating the creative industry from a business perspective then this is definitely a podcast for you! You can listen to their latest podcast here.

The pair were kind enough to answer some questions on how they started the studio, the importance of 'visual identity', and being taken seriously as a creative business in Lagos:

Tell us a bit about yourselves.

We are Dami and Seyi, founders of Dá Design Studio. We are both Architects by training but individually and collectively passionate about brand identity design. As a team we are very laid-back people. We are design nerds. *laughs We are either designing or discussing design. Yeah, and we have a T.V culture, break time is for Netflix, watching The voice or MTV’s Are you the one? and of course, This is us.

How did you find yourselves in the Design industry in Lagos? 

During our time together at UNILAG. We were both very confident about our design thinking. We knew we were good at solving problems- the problem was the outlet. We were certain Architecture wasn’t the route we’d like. We both individually chose Graphic Design, then eventually we collectively found our niche in brand identity design. 

The Kofe Club - Brand Identity, Illustration, Motion

How did Dá Design studio come to fruition?

To be very frank. Outside of loving the idea of being our bosses, we just couldn't find a suitable agency or studio that was doing it in the way we strongly believed it should be done. Of course, our way isn’t the only right way, but it was very important for us not to loose sight of the why; you know? why we chose design to begin with. We always wanted to create a new narrative for design in the country, we wanted to actively push boundaries and enlighten our community about what design is and can be. We still do. So, setting up our own studio was for us the most feasible attempt at achieving our goals without distraction. So we did just that and we hope the studio becomes a safe haven for designers who share similar perspectives and dreams.

Warpaint- Branding, Packaging design, Illustration, Motion

What does your design process look like? Is it guided by any beliefs? Do you think your Nigerian background has any influence on your approach?

We really believe in resolution. From the moment we get a brief, to the first line drawn, we are working to reveal the solution from an almost essentialist perspective. We don’t have any specific styles we rely on, visually, we keep a very open mind. The only constant is our obsession with honest, resolved and effective communication. All this means is our work revolves around being highly contextual and conceptual. Considering that context is a very big part of how we design and we have a majorly Nigerian clientele, you can definitely see that Nigerian sauce in a lot of our work. Often times not out-rightly, but it’s right there, subconsciously breeding familiarity. As Nigerian designers, we get a lot of visual inspiration from our day to day lives in Nigeria. For instance, we are working on a typeface called Danfo Std. We can’t wait for it to be out, it’s really exciting. 

Danfo Std- Font Design

Are there any challenges to working as a designer in Lagos? What about any benefits?

The challenges are enormous because there isn’t a design movement. Modern design culture is relatively young. There’s a lot of convincing involved in the business. Aesthetic value is not a priority for many Nigerians and it is easy to see design through the narrow lens of aesthetics alone. People often omit its problem-solving aspect and label it a luxury venture as opposed to a fundamental aspect of building a brand. Aside from the regular infrastructural challenges of running a small business in Lagos, this is our biggest challenge. Design is not an intimate idea for many Nigerians, hence not often prioritized or well valued.

That said, this challenge is in itself also a blessing. We get to define what it means to us. There’s no enforcing of expectations or styles or even practice. We get to define the rules and make mistakes without guilt. Design in Lagos is untapped and underutilized, this means that those of us willing to depend on it and contribute to it at its infancy are very likely to be pioneers.

There's also a lot of inspiration here. There’s always something so deeply Lagosian to inspire you. Lagos gives us a unique perspective. We are inspired by its problems and it’s energy. We have a playing field to create design that impacts and communicate with a diverse and vibrant people often forgotten by the global design scene. 

In your podcasts, you talk a lot about ‘visual identity’. Can you talk a bit about what that means and its importance? Can you also talk about some Nigerian brands who have hit the mark in that respect?

Visual identity is basically the visual characteristics determining who or what a person or brand is. It encompasses the visual devices and visual language that help people recognise a brand. It includes a logo but it’s not limited to it. A logo is just one of the many visual devices that can be a part of a brand’s visual identity. Visual identity is an external appearance of the internal resolutions around a brand. Say, a happy playful brand that uses the colour yellow, they aren’t happy and playful because they use yellow, rather, they use yellow because they are. In turn, when you see the yellow, you get the sense that they are a happy and playful brand.Visual identity is a visual reflection of what a brand is, in a way that its audience can behold and relate to.

Visual identity should be both visually and conceptually strong. For us, good visual identity tells a story, the logo being just one part of it. With a good visual identity, your audience should think it’s you before they know its you. You don’t need to see the Glo logo on a billboard in Lagos before you think the ad is likely from Glo. Their adaption of the vibrant green, for instance, is very strong. We don’t exactly love their identity, but their use of colour is a good example of the point. Colour-centric visual identity; that is in the way MTN and Glo, for instance, both have bold colours that they own, can be quite predictable and old school, but it can also still be very effective and contextual. With where the world is headed, visual identity is much more than that… you know? Every visual encounter matters and people are doing mad things, really exploring the boundaries of brand expression and Nigeria needs to catch-up. A lot of the popular Nigerian brands don’t have cohesive visual identities, most times one part is strong and the other parts not so much. For instance, We like the typeface for Eco Bank, it’s really beautiful, but we think their dependency on color is boring. We also like Union Bank’s identity. That blue is special, we like how it contrasts the black and white patterns as well, but we also find the patterns themselves to be a tad bit pretentious. Alara seems to be headed somewhere nice, their identity is quite consistent, the architectural facadé feels like their patterns and their typeface fits just right, it also feels like just enough for what they do, so yeah, they are in the right direction and on tarred road.

Alara's visual identity (images sourced from https://www.instagram.com/alaralagos/)

Can you tell us a bit about how you handle running a professional business as a creative and being taken seriously in Nigeria?

The key is to know your spice. Understand that what you offer is important. We take ourselves seriously so it's hard  for others not to be seduced into taking us seriously too. We know that what we offer is valuable and we own it. There’s absolutely no reason to be humble about presenting the work you do as valuable. The default reaction in Nigeria isn’t “oh, let’s go and spend a ton of money on design” lol. That’s why you need to be loud about your value. When we say loud, we don’t mean forcing your views about your work down people’s throats. Naa, it’s more like speaking from a position of expertise. Recognize their problems before they even know it, tell them the value they can get from adopting a different perspective, value your time, speak with the right terminology, empathize with your clients.. etc. The more aware you are of your value, the easier it is to stick to a cost and convince others. The quickest route to that awareness is information and know how, invest in your skill, invest so much in learning about design. Invest so much that you are confident and you start to see making certain financial compromises as foolishness because of how much you've invested. Imagine going treasure hunting in the belly of a rare whale in the Amazon, then finding a rare ruby that turns ice to silver, will you not laugh in the face of anyone asking you to sell it for a few bucks? This analogy is quite silly and unrealistic but, it’ll do *laughs 

How do you balance pleasing the customer and at the same time staying true to creating good design?

Pleasing the customer for us is more about listening to them, empathizing with them and letting them know we have their back. We don’t even fake it, we genuinely get fond of our clients, learn from them and trust them back. This trust makes it harder for you to rely on the design to please them. Our clients know we truly care about their business and they understand that sometimes pleasing them design wise may not be what’s best for their business. If you genuinely connect with your clients, identify their problems and design to solve their problems, there’d be minimal clashes around design. They may have comments, which is perfectly fine, but they’ll trust your opinions. We also maintain a humble stance, where we are not afraid of our clients’ comments and feedback, we genuinely want to listen to them and solve their problems. Good design and pleasing the client are not on opposite sides of the coin. That said, please note that there are bad clients, eg; people who don’t respect their own business enough let alone caring about solutions regarding that business… there are so many other examples of bad clients. With bad clients, their repentance isn’t your duty. Close up the project the best way possible, either by a polite termination, refund or caving in, whichever works for you and the terms and policies agreed at the beginning of the project. 

You mentioned in a previous podcast, the lack of- and the need for- an established design community in Lagos– do you still feel that way? And what else would you like to see from the Nigerian design scene in the future?

We need better design schools. We also need an aspirational gratification system that really focuses on the quality of design work. Like our equivalent to the DandAD pencils. We don’t necessarily believe awards are the true reward or score for work, however having something of that sort will make it easier for us to collectively raise the bar. There are currently many setups doing something similar in Nigeria, however, none has really nailed it from an almost academic perspective of what exactly good design is. 

Community is really needed, individual growth is good but communal growth is even better. When we can collectively create standards and expectations around working as designers in Lagos or Nigeria even, we can progress much quicker and much more optimally. There’s so much we can learn from each other.

For more on  Dá design studio:

Website- https://dadesign.studio

Twitter- @da_dsgn

Instagram- @dadesignstudio

GTK: PAINTER ABE.

And we are back again! 3 GTKs back to back to back because we really are just trying to put you on to greatness. Finishing off the trio is the dynamic Painterabe. Painter, musician, muralist you name it and he probably can do it. Watch as he explains the intentions behind his work and patterns and as he talks about his passion for growth:



Here's more of PAINTERABE's work:

GTK: JOSHUA ASIEGBUNAM

Our GTK pick for this week is none other than Joshua Asiegbunam (aka ADAM). You might not know who he is but chances are you've come across some of his work. He was one of the creative minds behind Sao and the Muse II, an exhibition I raved about last year. He does everything from graphic design and photography to music, interior design, and creative direction. He is sickeningly talented and having had the pleasure of conversation with him I've also come to find that he's rather modest about it.

Watch the vid to get to know more about ADAM's processes, influences and his many many talents:

GTK: CHIGOZIE OBI

Hey guys, we're back with another one from our "Get To Know" segment and the artist you should get to know this time is Chigozie Obi, a painter that uses both physical and digital mediums to bring her portraits to life. Her work is a combination of rich colours and energetic brush strokes of men and women against solid backgrounds. Find out more about her and her creative process in the interview below:

ALEXIS PESKINE.

By Dami Ayo-Vaughn

“It’s really weird to be in a space where you get love and you have to be mad, you almost feel like a fraud.”

“The reception I received in London was beautiful,” says Alexis Peskine, “I got all this love.” The French-Brazilian artist is reflecting on his debut solo exhibition in London, Power Figures, which ran at the October Gallery between September and October. “Not that people in Paris don’t give me this warmth, but it felt like people in London were really listening, we're trying to understand my point of view and were respecting it and I felt that.”

We are sat in the café of the October Gallery; two hours have passed since the exhibitions final showing. Dressed in a tweed blazer, a brown shirt, bow tie and orange trousers, Peskine looks more like an academic than an artist. He sips on a glass of red wine and soaks up the silence in the room. “It was a very draining project,” he says, “physically and mentally.” 

I tell him that the reception makes it worthwhile. Grateful as he is for the reception, he worries about how it will affect his work: “It’s funny you have all this anger but after a while you get all this love and it’s like you try and stay connected to that anger and the people who are in the struggle {black experience},” he says, with his eyes fixed on mine. “It’s really weird to be in a space where you get love and you have to be mad, you almost feel like a fraud. But you have to wake up and feel connected because it’s still happening. You can’t forget the struggle. For me, it’s important to go back to what’s going on and the injustices.”

Power Figures

Born in France, to a Franco-Russian father, the son of a Jewish refugee, and an Afro-Brazilian mother from Bahia, Brazil, Peskine grew up in a multicultural family, of which he is deeply proud: “To grow up with so much culture to me was a richness. My father is French and Russian, but he loved Brazilian culture; that’s where he met my mother, he spoke Portuguese really well and was interested in the culture. They taught it to me and I harboured it. They represented it and I wasn’t ashamed of it.”

Peskine’s multicultural identity is something which has informed much of his work, with the concept of identity being a recurring fixture in his projects. His latest project, Power Figures, explores identity and the Black Experience of people in Congo.

Using nails as his central medium, Peskine produced large-scale portraits of Congolese people, alongside photographs of children. The use of metal forced into the wood refers to the Minkisi “power figures” of the Congo Basin, whose function it was to keep evil spirits away. The portraits are stunning. Peskine captures the beauty of the black skin in a truly remarkable way. ‘The Architects of New Djenné is perhaps the standout portrait amongst the set, with the gaze of the figure conveying a sense of both tranquillity and frustration.

Abdou Slide

This pride in his culture did not come so easily. The second of four children – all boys – Peskine grew up predominantly in France, but visited Brazil often. As fond, as he is of his childhood Peskine admits he faced “uneasy episodes”, having to deal with discrimination and racism in France. In Brazil, he faced a country where the standards of beauty were overwhelmingly white and Eurocentric, despite possessing the largest black population outside of Africa.

Did being a mixed-race person make it easier? “It’s easier, but it’s funny because people tend to misunderstand. A lot of white folks will say ‘you’re as white as you’re black’. Yes, on paper, but in the experience, it’s not as simple as that. I could go into the black community and black people could see me as black, I would be welcomed as a black person. Now, if I go running around saying I’m white everybody is going to look at me like I’m crazy. So, this is not really the truth.” He pauses momentarily. It is a touchy subject. “When I was a teenager, getting ID checked by the police violently, getting racist insults, I couldn’t be like ‘Oh hey I’m half-white take it easy’. Maybe you get discriminated less than if you are darker, but when you’re in a racist situation you can’t pull out the mixed card. I definitely have to acknowledge colourism. I’m really aware of it, it’s real. But, that doesn’t take away from the {black} experience.”

Peskine’s understanding of the Black Experience growing up was chiefly informed by his parents: “I was fortunate enough to have parents who despite not being the most educated people on the question of Blackness, knew certain things and educated me the best they could,” he says. “They took me to marches against racism, gave me the books on Afro-Brazilian culture, we watched Roots.” Despite being grateful for his parents’ efforts, Peskine admits it wasn’t enough. “They gave me what they had in their hands, which was good and better than a lot of people, but I knew some people who were fortunate enough to know about African history prior to colonialism. I didn’t have that.”

At the age of 17, he was spotted at the Nike camp and moved to America to play basketball. This helped get into Howard University, where having to choose a major he chose Painting and Photography: “I naturally went to that because I’ve always been interested in that field. My whole family is in the arts, so I kind of grew on that.” Being in Howard, Peskine’s understanding of the Black Experience changed immensely as it helped fill the gaps of what he knew growing up. “I was blessed to have gone to Howard University, it’s a school full of teachers that teach you black history. I learnt a lot of stuff.”

Aljana Moons Doudou

An important lesson Howard taught Peskine was how to treat the black skin in shoots: “In our photography class we would talk about the grey card, but would mention that it’s not for us {black people}. We used it like everybody else but being in an environment where (what) you’re going to shoot is black, you have to learn how to shoot them and I was aware of that as soon as I learnt photography because I was in that school.”

Aljana Moons Twins Sleeping

Having lived in America and spent time in the UK, where race issues are in spotlight, Peskine is frustrated that this is not so in France: “In London and a lot of American cities, even with the racism that occurs, people are much more open to talk about racial dynamics and acknowledge the discrepancies, compared to France,” he says.

“France is hypocrisy at its height. I think we might be the country with the biggest black population in the whole of Europe, and still, people don’t want to address these questions. They do not want to acknowledge race-based discrimination. They are fragile.”

He runs his hands through his hair. “A lot of people think they are open-minded, but they are not. You have a lot of people who think of themselves as liberal or intellectuals who will be advocates for white supremacy and will not confront that. People see it as either you’re the KKK or you’re open-minded, but it’s not like that. You could be open-minded, have gone to school, have friends of all colours and sexualities, but still say ignorant things or not acknowledge people’s pains. That is what is done a lot in France. They don’t understand those dynamics. It’s very much swept under the rug and it’s very frustrating.”

Peskine’s biggest frustration with France is its efforts to prevent minorities from building communities. “Whether it’s the UK or US, they have cultures based on communities and understand people need communities, whereas in France it’s seen as threatening the norm of whiteness. When you’re in an environment that is fully white and discriminating against other people, thus performing the biggest act of communitarianism, but they don’t call it that, even though the biggest act of communitarianism is whiteness.”

Peskine is worried about coming off as ‘an angry black man’. In this situation, however, there is no other way to feel. Conversations on racial issues in France have been slow, with the Constitution banning the collection of race statistics. This, in turn, has made it harder to shed a light on racial issues in France. It would be wrong to suggest that data could help remove racism in one swoop, but it can at least point the light in a direction, and be used to inform decisions, policies and fight denial.

The government is, he believes, only making things worse. Their spreading of misleading information is leaving him worried about the future. “France is still exploiting a number of countries in Africa, making themselves rich, yet complaining about migrants coming. The government acts a certain way and then the media who work for government defuse certain information to the masses and make them think a certain way and not to be honest,” he says. “People don’t have time to deconstruct the information they are being fed. They see TV and media as the gospel, the news is the truth, so if they are lying most people are living on a fake truth. These altered truths cause people to act a certain way, especially in times of crisis and find a scapegoat.”

Is it the role of the artists to counter this? Should we expect artists to point people to the truth? “I can’t say what other artists’ job is, but I decided that it is for me. So, I’m trying to do it. My job is to be honest as an artist. I’m not going to force people to talk about conscious things ‘cause that would be fake. It has to come from within,” he says. “I think as human beings it is our duty. We have a duty as a society, and a society is a bunch of individuals, so as individuals we should do that. It’s true as an artist I have a platform and can influence a lot of people, but we should all do it.

“I can’t judge someone who wants to escape from it {racial issues} and enjoy a moment without being beat over the head with race. But, it’s like being in a war zone and trying to walk over dead bodies like they are not there when they are.”

Carefully he sits up on his chair. “All humans try to better themselves. We can all mess up, we can all do or say the wrong thing. I have done and said things that are wrong. The thing is to fix yourself after you make a mistake. To reassess yourself. To not do it continuously. Try and understand what you did and why it’s wrong.”

Photos of Alexis Peskine taken by Dami Ayo-Vaughn.

GTK: EBUBE ONOH.

Hi A'naala readers, we're back with another artist you should get to know; Ebube Onoh. He is a 20-year old multi-faceted artist ranging in mediums from film to graphic design to photography to painting. He sits comfortably in an understanding of these diverse crafts and is able to hone them to create absolute masterpieces, he's also incredibly funny. Watch the video below!



Here are some of his incredible works of art:

For Odunsi

Photography for JOLAG cover art. 

GTK: POP ARTII

We've been such slackers lately we know but we are making up for it starting with this interview with the creative head of Lagos-based fashion brand, Pop Artii, who specialise in hand-painted clothes. Their motifs are bright and quirky and true to Nigerian culture and essence. Check out the interview in the video below:

GTK: THOMPSON SAM EKONG (TSE)

Hi, everyone! Baby Steph in the hizzay. So a couple weeks ago Emu and I interviewed an actual living legend that goes by the name of TSE. If the name doesn't ring a bell then have you been living under a rock? Because goals, can I join you I'm looking for a place to be a depressed recluse thanks. Lol jk (or not).

TSE is a photographer in his own league, ahead of his time and thinking about the future so he can present it to us. His latest exhibition, "NO-1" at Carpe Diem on the 13th of August is a testament to his unconventional and futuristic style. Asides from being a mega talent he has a bubbly personality that reflects his flowing creativity. He cannot be tied to one style of photography and it is that versatility combined with an innate skill for the craft that makes him so ICONIC. Literally y'all this has been one of my favorite interviews to edit, I spent about a month editing this (don't judge me) and I don't cringe when I watch it now because he's just that great (I even know some of it word for word but you didn't need to know that).

Here's a likkle drinking game for you: Drink every time he says "meow" or any other onomatopoeia eg "pew" "skr". Enjoy (P.S. I'm sorry Tommy, your face doesn't actually look like that, it's my poorly set camera setting <3). Also stay tuned for a Marvel style epic post credit scene ;) :

GTK: BUNMI AGUSTO

Hey, guys we are back with another interview with an artist you need to know or maybe already love, Bunmi Agusto! Her art style really challenges the norms of the craft combining experimental with classical art styles and creating beautiful, profound and colourful pieces. It's something you only find in masters of the craft so please watch below and enjoy!

GTK (LONG DISTANCE): TOBELLIOT

Hey, guys! Steph here. Eme and I are excited to introduce a new sub-section to our interview category "Get To Know". This new sub is called "Long Distance", here we will interview some of our fav artists that we are not able to contact in person, via facetime or skype so that we can still delve into their minds! I mean it's the 21st century so why the blip not.

Our first interviewee is the illustrator, Tobelliot who currently lives in Massachusetts, USA. I sat down with him we had a lovely virtual conversation about his art, movies, life and sushi I hope you enjoy this. Disclaimer: Strong language is used *a lot*.

GTK: WAMI ALUKO

Hi guys, Steph here and I'm very excited to take you into the mind of one of my favorite photographers, Wami Aluko. Her graphic and striking editorial style images have never failed to shock and stir her audiences. They are incredibly well-crafted with what seems like such ease it could only be an innate talent. So watch below as I journey into her mind to understand how she creates her masterpieces.

A'NAALA AT THE PROPHECY POP UP STORE.

Hey, guys! Steph here. Last week I headed over to the Prophecy pop up store in South London. Prophecy is an up and coming clothing brand run by 4 guys which they started as a Tumblr blog called "Living Lit" and then subsequently kicked off as the prophecy clothing line. The pop-up store was alive with moody lights, trap music, and a healthy attendance of urban hipsters. So while I was there I had a quick interview with 3 out of 4 of the boys behind the brand and also a little feel around of the room for myself. The interview is in the video below! (p.s. pardon the graininess it was super dark).

GTK: 90's Baby

Hello, Guys! We are back with more great stuff. This time it features the brain behind of one the hottest up and coming international brands "90's Baby". You've probably you know heard of them before, if not then what you doin? We sat down with Idris King the founder of the brand as well as a recording artist and asked him a few questions about the brand watch below in this exciting A'naala Exclusive:

SIMISOLA BABALOLA

Happy new year guys! 

For our very first post of 2017 we’re gonna introduce you to some one you really need to know! Meet Simisola Babalola, a 16 year old, self taught Nigerian photographer who has been getting a lot of attention on social media lately!  If you’ve seen some amazing photographs from the Life is Eazi concert recently, odds are she’s probably the one who captured them:

Julia Ryng: Not a Perfectionist

Hello Lovelies Eme here!

Back at it again with someone you need to GTK. Meet Julia Ryng! (who fyi was the girl who I painted in the Alexa Meade tribute ). Read about my interview with Julia and have a look at some of her gorgeous doodles. Enjoy xxx

Eme: So Julia...

Julia: First of all, It's Jay.

E: So Jay...

J: Thankyou.

E: Tell me a little bit about yourself, some background if you will.

J: So basically, I was raised by a single mother and then during my childhood she died via hunter so basically I was the story in...what's that movie with the deer?

E: Bambi?

J: Yeah.

GTK SPECIAL : A DAY WITH DATA PEPPLE

Hi all and welcome, Steph here! In honour of our launch today I ask you to journey with me on a rainy afternoon as I dive into the world of free and vibrant Data Pepple as she shows us the inner workings of her art and her process! Watch this interview featuring the kind-hearted illustrator with big plans for her future and a fluid hand stroke.

GTK: DESOLA KAZEEM

Let me just give you a brief introduction to this new segment we’ve decided to launch on A’naala!

"Get To Know" is going to be a series which gives you a little introduction/ insight into the works of talented people that you may or may not have heard of.

Our first ever GTK subject is Desola Kazeem who has always been known by close friends and family as an avid doodler and an incredibly talented one at that! In this interview she talks about a handful of drawings/ paintings she’s done recently and some of the stories behind them. Enjoy! xx 

-Eme