Interview with artist Zanele Muholi from South Africa
Interview with South African photographer Zanele Muholi by Diane Frankel. Zanele Muholi, is one of South Africa ‘s foremost artists. She sees herself as a visual activist. She addresses in her work the reality of what is to be lesbian and gay in South Africa where homosexuality is not accepted and where some cultural and [...]
Monica Wangu Wamwere: A mother fighting for her son’s freedom
Monica Wangu Wamwere: Unbroken Spirit Through determination, relentless perseverance, faith, and peaceful means Monica Wangu Wamwere prevailed and saw her son, Kenyan human rights activist and political prisoner Koigi wa Wamwere and many other imprisoned in the Kenyan jails released. She participated along with Noble Laureate Wangari Maathai in the 1992′s Mothers’ Hunger Strike. The [...]
New series: Interviews of artists from South Africa.
I have been increasingly interested in artistic expressions that are not part of the mainstream and that reflect a different cultural experience, perspective, and history. In great part because I get great pleasure from being in Africa, whether it be Kenya, Mali, Egypt, South Africa to name a few, [...]
In Kenya, Tanuja Walli Mends Hearts One Child at a Time
New Series: African Unsung Heroines and Heros. One of the great privileges of going to Africa is the opportunity of meeting some extraordinary local people who work very hard to make a difference and improve the lives of many. They refuse to accept the status quo and try to effect change. They often work [...]
Interview with Auma Obama (audio)
Auma Obama talks about her life in Africa and Europe, and her relationship with her brother, Barack Obama. Her memoir, And Then Life Happens, tells the story of her meeting Barack Obama for the first time in the 1980s, and how they built a lasting relationship, traveled together in Kenya, and researched their family history, [...]
Cheikh Lô: Senegalese Sufi Troubadour
On April 20 , at Zankel Hall in New York City, Cheikh Lô, the Senegalese Sufi troubadour drew an enthusiastic crowd. A superb singer, songwriter, and a distinctive guitarist, drummer and percussionist Cheikh Lô has developed his own sound, which distills a variety of influences from West and Central Africa. His music can be described [...]
Poaching in Africa: the scale of the problem
Following Prince William’s passionate anti-poaching speech, we look at the disturbing facts behind the poaching spree. A horn can change hands at £40,000 per kilogram (2.2lb), compared with £33,000 for a kilogram of gold Photo: ALAMY By Charles Starmer-Smith and Brian Jackman In the years before the Tusk Trust was established in 1990, poaching was [...]
News: Update on the medical front in Kenya.
Children awaiting heart surgery. Tanuja Walli, founder of the Paediatric Support Group in Mombassa, was sharing her frustration with me : Nine children from the Coast area of Kenya died in the last couple of months while they were awaiting a slot to get heart surgery in Nairobi. Why does that happen? First there [...]
Artist Nnenna Okore in her studio
Conversation with Nigerian sculptor Nnenna Okore in her studio The first time I saw Nnenna Okore’s work was at the Newark Museum and I found it very poetic and compelling. Hung from the ceiling, transparent strips of shredded burlap dyed with clay like color, felt tactile and earthy yet paradoxically also ethereal and majestic. That [...]
“Now Is As Authentic As Then” Says Holland Cotter
NY Times Art Critic, Holland Cotter continues his report on Art in Africa, In Mali, Art as Real as Life Itself. He captures eloquently how Africa challenges Western ideals of authenticity: “Taste is habit, a form of learned behavior. And habit is what we rely on to make us feel at home and comfortable in [...]
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