Not too long ago, Vijana FM got to discuss five questions with Spearhead Branding and KinaKlothing’s Mkuki. Many ideas emerged from that discussion, including one about a collective space online for Tanzanian artists.
Luckily, we recently came across African Digital Art, an online platform where “digital artists, enthusiasts and professionals can seek inspiration, showcase their artistry and connect with emerging artists”.
ADA’s founder and creative director, Jepchumba, kindly agreed when we got in touch and asked for an interview. Here’s what she said:
1. Why do you think artists need to “push digital boundaries” in Africa?
Pushing digital boundaries is an important component to African Digital Art. Before we begun most people wouldn’t have necessarily associated ‘African’ and ‘Digital’ together, let alone ‘African Digital Art’. But we proved them wrong! showcasing Africa’s talent and ingenuity. Africa is not stuck in a technology vacuum, we are also experiencing the digital world and with that comes new expressions, new visual traditions. Africa has a lot to show and we are constantly pushing past our limitations.
2. Tell us a bit about The District; what should an artist know know about this community?
The District really came from the needs of the community. African Digital Art is composed of a network of artists, illustrators, animators and creative professionals. We were constantly approached to connect artists with each other so the simple solution was to create a platform for creatives to network, share and collaborate with each other. The District is where you can create your portfolio and join groups based on your interests and skills, organize events and collaborate with one another. Unfortunately the creative community in Africa is fragmented and the District hopes to bridge this community together.
(Film by Bastien Dubois)
3. In your experience, what forms of entrepreneurship has art seeded in Africa?
The creative economy is the fastest growing economy in the world, primarily because the creative economy is built on ideas. Ideas are what generate and drive business. I would argue that the digital media industry is full of entrepreneurship opportunities because it synthesizes the tech industry with the creative arts. There are boundless opportunities for creatives when it comes to visual effects and arts, entertainment and advertising. With a continent with a strong visual tradition there is no reason we can’t market and sell our ideas, stories and visual language to the world.
4. We’ve been debating how Tanzania’s education system can better-cater to today’s multiple learning modes. Do you think digital art should be treated as its own field (of study and work), or is it embedded with multple fields?
When it comes to Digital media and the arts I believe that an important component of design or creative education is an interdisciplinary approach. You have the chance to specialize later on and with web there are is a world full of tutorials and aides that will help you specialize and hone in your special talent. But you must have a well rounded interdisciplinary understanding of the industry as well as good design principles.
5. How can other groups like Vijana FM add value to the ADA movement?
Make sure you join us on our online community, The District – http://africandigitalart.com/community
Considering the works that African Digital Art seeks to bring together, we’re interested in what kinds of mediums artists in Tanzania and the rest of East Africa prefer. Is it digital? Paint on canvas? Audio? Poetry?
See you underneath this post. Thanks, Jepchumba and the rest of the African Digital Art team, for stopping by!
Related interviews and links:
Awesome interview, AK and Jepchumba!
PS: Most TZ artistic minds are in Zanzibar @ Sauti za Busara, I guess…