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Kenya-born, Washington DC-based illustrator Monica Obaga was one of the people behind building Africa’s first video-on-demand service, Buni TV.
During her time there as an editor, she marketed, critiqued and created her own content, with the greater goal of redefining what Africa looked like in the media.
Being so immersed in various forms of content, she soon realised African cinema had become defined as a genre itself. She wasn’t impressed.
But it’s this frustration that she can credit for exploring other parts of her creativity. It empowered her to become part of the makers redefining the conception of African art.
“I didn’t want to talk about African media, I wanted to create it,” she says.
While she was plotting what was next, Obaga started drawing, which she says she’s been good at since childhood. She started challenging herself to share work online and it’s from those small challenges that she grew.
Distinctive in its style, her work is defined by muted tones and soft, clean lines.
“I would say my aesthetic has always been whimsical because all my favourite media as a child were musicals, cartoons, books, comics and fashion.”
Her work is a result of inspirations found in abstract minimal soapstone sculptures from Kisii, a city in the southwest of Kenya and geometric patterns in fabrics like leso, wax print and mud cloth.
However, alongside that, pop culture influences form a big part of her inspiration too.
Coming back to the notion of African art, she is resolute that the description “African” should not mean anything more than geographic location and the origin of its creator.
“African art is art made by Africans, period,” she says.
It’s in the diversities of its redefinition that it really is coming into its own.
“I think we’re all trying to redefine ‘African art’ in the sense that we’re adding to the kaleidoscope by expressing our individual experiences. There are movements happening as a by-product, like Afrofuturism or Afrobubblegum.
“The idea of African art being an aesthetic is essentially flawed.
“There are so many different aesthetics, traditions and perspectives.
“We’ve barely scratched the surface.”
- Check out more of her work at monicaobaga.com
- This article first appeared on designindaba.com
