5 -min. read From speciality coffee to empowered local artisans, James Davidson unpacks up-and-coming Rwanda’s capital and tells us how it is exceeding the expectations of all who encounter it.
8 -min. read When even maps are biased, James Davidson discovers how a rebellious historian, Afrofuturists and a Marvel superhero can cut through propaganda and prejudice to expose a lie in the name of equality and empowerment.
4 -min. read The DRC has been associated with war as long as we can remember. But its budding artists – and tourist attractions – are adding colour and life to the country’s sombre caricature. James Davidson investigates.
3 -min. read From Coptic Christians in the Greater Cairo Area collecting garbage came the muse for upcycling guru and Egyptian artist dina Amin – and from them both comes the inspiration the hotel industry needs to combat throwaway culture.
7 -min. read From theatrics to flavours of brandy with mushrooms and Oloroso with squash, mixology is reaching way beyond the bar. As fine dining pushes its creativity through the roof, the divide between bar and kitchen is growing ever narrower…
3 -min. read Sweary and tenacious, relentless and vexing, South Africa has much to learn from hip hop–music duo Antwoord. While enraging as much as they enrapture, they are pioneers in setting your own path and being comfortable in your skin – a sort of cultural originality that should be celebrated, not hidden.
3 -min. read Introducing Sara Ouhaddou, the French-Moroccan artist combining the craft traditions of the Arab and Islamic world with international contemporary culture – an inspiration for African nations in an age of globalisation, showing them to move forward while keeping their own singular identities.
3 -min. read Britney-Spears-obsessed performance artist Jana ‘Babez’ Terblanche deviates from Africa’s historical, same-old narrative, instead moving towards an outrageous feminist statement that unites Africa and the world at large.
6 -min. read Fired up on a disdain for the establishment and a spirit of resilience, African creativity has embraced DIY ethics and trodden its own radical path. James Davidson dives into modern Africa’s punk rock rebellion.
4 -min. read The evocative approach of multimedia-talented Angolan artist, Kiluanji Kia Henda, may well be the key to the moving Africa’s image away from the colonial and towards the contemporary: it’s all about spreading word of the past without letting it cloud the now.
5 -min. read Do old notions of ‘Africanness’ and ‘African authenticity’ do justice to the contemporary art forms brewing throughout the Motherland today? Discover the African artists who are challenging the status-quo.
3 -min. read Musa Nxumalo’s photography is raw and beautiful and free from geographical boundaries. But how are we to move beyond stereotypes and vilification if forward-thinking voices in his own country continue to resist the potency of youth culture?
5 -min. read In order to embrace a new positive identity for Africa and its diaspora, it’s important not to sweep difficult conversations under the carpet. Multidisciplinary artist Larry Achiampong shows us all how conversation can promote worthwhile change.
4 -min. read Belgian-Beninese photographer Fabrice Monteiro’s The Prophecy is an ongoing body of work giving key environmental issues the repulsive makeover they deserve.
3 -min. read Singularly African; unashamedly buoyant; and delivering a sanguine shot of unaffected joy, designer Porky Hefer’s work has only just begun.
4 -min. read The work of Johannesburg-based activist artist Lady Skollie never errs on flippancy. Her pieces address rape culture, gender polarity and racial inequality.
3 -min. read Ugandan-born Sarah Waiswa fled Idi Amin’s brutal regime to make Kenya home; then fled a corporate career to follow her dream of becoming a photographer. James Davidson reflects on why this inspiring young talent makes being an ‘influencer’ something to be proud of.
3 -min. read Peter Mabeo is the founder of a design brand that harnesses internationally-revered design talent and places it alongside their own homegrown design team.
3 -min. read Cape Town creative Danielle Clough encapsulates both the pre- and post-viral world. The craft that she has become known for is as timeless as can be.
3 -min. read A Cape Town blogger turned rising art star, Tony Gum is one of the world’s most exciting young creatives.