I had the pleasure of working with Initiatives of Change USA on some artworks for the launch of their 2019 Narrative Change Collaborative (NCC) for the city of Richmond in Virginia. The NCC is a change-making program that connects three mentors - a.k.a. architects - with three mentees - a.k.a. weavers -for a year long program looking to disrupt negative racial narratives in the city of Richmond, Virginia (the former capital of the confederacy and second largest slave landing in North America).
I collaborated with their amazing communications director Sionne Neely on the ideation for the artworks and we came up with some really cool interesting ideas. Merging traditional African symbolism and themes with elements of the Richmond narrative.
And some time after the first part of the work was done Sionne sent me an invite to Richmond to attend the launch of the program. I couldn’t believe it, I actually read the email then put down the phone for a few hours to absorb before I responded. The experience was amazing, I got to teach a couple of workshops while I was there, met wonderful, warm people and discovered an extremely interesting city with levels on levels of history.
Sionne did a write up about the project here and explained the artwork so eloquently:
The Architects poster ‘combines symbology from the Ga ethnic group of Ghana; Berber codes from Niger; innovative architecture from Mali; three hand mudras used in meditation practices in India; and pan-African cosmograms (developed by spiritualists from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Trinidad) reconfigured to reflect important dates in Richmond and Virginia’s journey towards racial equity and justice. Together these codes illustrate the repelling of negative and chaotic energies; the importance of self and community awareness; the capacity of healing, wellness and regeneration to take shape; and the deep insight that social shifts are in the works.’
Whilst the Weavers poster ‘ reflects three hands (of the NCC architects) on a drum, the communication technology used between African communities to share critical messages of support, subversion, and preparation. The drum unearths a multitude of symbols that speak to the creative transformation of community action that is currently taking place in Richmond and Nairobi.’
This project makes my heart full of warmth and gratitude, it was a paradigm-shifting experience.
This artwork was created for the Say Enough campaign 'African Womens' Day' on July 31st, 2020. The theme was 'Flip the Script'.
I chose to depict a few women who have flipped the script through time. On the left is Queen Amanirenas- the warrior queen of Kush who fought tirelessly against the Romans to defend her kingdom.
We also see a mother from the Mothers' Protest of 1992 - held in Uhuru park, Kenya. To protest the unjust incarceration of their sons, mothers fasted for several days, they were mistreated and brutalised by police and they stripped bare in anger to protest the injustice; their courage triggered citywide protests.
Depicted as well is Alaa Salah of the Sudanese revolution who raised her voice for Sudan in 2019, creating hope and amplifying the freedom song of her nation during a revolution.
These women are amongst many who have stood to represent the freedom of their people in their own way - they've flipped the script and inspired many with their brave actions. On the right, we see a futuristic woman, she is unnamed - she is anyone who may fight in the future for the liberation of not just women but all people.
In collaboration with The Continent Newspaper -
these are the AFRICANS OF THE YEAR 2020.It was a blessing to work on this. In a strange year - these exemplary humans and collectives did much to make a difference in their own ways.
To read more about them, download your free copy of the end-of-year special edition here (https://mg.co.za/thecontinent/)". It was truly an honour to work on
CLICK on any of the images for a free download [when the image loads, right click to ‘Save As…’]
Working on the branding for the Black Feminist Fund was slightly surreal; to be honest, I didnt actually believe the email was real when I got approached to do a proposal (impostor syndrome was working on overtime! :/) I am so grateful that the brilliant women heading up this change-making organisation trusted me with this task - it has been one of those paradigm shifting ones!
Inspiration for the patterns that centre the brand come from the beautiful Kuba cloth of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
I have always loved illustrated stationery items and a few years ago I decided to create my own product line - Kulula.
Kulula means 'to draw' in my mother tongue, Kikamba.
I have been selling at pop ups and at a couple of vendors for about a year now and its still a work in progress, but Im trusting the process to keep developing and growing with it.
You can see more at my Instagram page @_kulula and soon on my website kululagoods.com .
You may also contact me directly on hello@kululagoods.com .
Check out the hand drawn type section for more hand drawn items that are also available as prints.
A portrait of the visionary activist Medha Patkar speaking at Action Aid International AGM October 2020, Zoom.
When the awesome Scott Wayne ( Envoy Portfolio ) - whom I met in Richmond, VA whilst working on the Narrative Change Collaborative - asked if I could work on this - I was nervous and excited. It was the first official time working on this type of work as work - watching someone speak and capturing their points. Something I have done in my free time and have always dreamt of doing as work - visual documentation.
I dressed up worthy of meeting a legend such as Medhajee - even if I was only going to be on screen waving for a few seconds; and I leaned in closely for every inspirational word she spoke.
It was a real honour to be present to hear her powerful speech - it was just as fiery as if it had been in person. And it was inspiring to see an organisation as large as Action Aid holding space for a voice like Medhajees - her words about connecting and collaborating from the mass-root level especially in a time such as this when economic systems and policies are upside down particularly stuck with me.
Branding for Afrifem Macroeconomics Collective NAWI.
It was a pleasure working on this for my friend Crystal, afrifeminist-economist-connector-extraorddinaire. She told me about how she wanted to create a collective inspired by the Dahomey warrior women, ‘say no more Crystal’ I said ‘ say no more!’ (not exactly, but something like that) .
This was a great project to work on cause there was a lot of alignment, when we started and as we continue to work together on more with the great group of women that is Nawi.
In 2020 I worked with Hivos to develop artwork for there Resources Of Open Minds (R.O.O.M) program . The R.O.O.M program specifically aims at diversifying dialogue and debate in society through the power of art to bring about structural social change.
First edition of newsletter design for Brainstorm.co.ke - 'When Women Speak'.
This was really cool to work on, Brenda and Michael of Brainstorm gave me a lot of creative freedom on this project and although the deadlines were tight, I really enjoyed working on it. I worked on three more editions, the covers can be seen at the bottom of the page.
You can download the full Brainstorm newsletters here. There's the newsletters and a blog that gets updated regularly - it's heart warming, humourous, challenging - great stuff.
Examples of graphic recording projects done for The African Women's Development and Communications Network https://femnet.org/ . Its been an exciting adventure exploring this new field - loving it as I learn more.
For Women’s History Month 2022 I got the beautiful opportunity to work on the graphic recording and portraits of three amazing women - Lucy Minayo, Mendi Njonjo and Saida Ali. It was an honour to hear their stories and all the brilliant work they have been doing over the years. Thank you to the wonderful Sally and Hivos.org for the opportunity to work on this.
See the articles covering them here:
Lucy: https://hivos.org/story/lucy-minayo-leaving-behind-a-legacy-for-young-women-in-srhr/
Mendi: https://hivos.org/story/mendi-njonjo-a-just-and-sustainable-africa-is-possible/
Saida: https://hivos.org/story/saida-ali-the-invisible-feminist-should-also-be-celebrated/
I love podcasts and Ive always been a fan of the artworks that go along with them.
Its been a pleasure creating covers for the Djali podcast, especially cause the hosts and producer are both amazing humans.
Check out season 1 of the podcast hosted by Crystal and produced by Elizabeth here> Djali
Check out season 2 hosted and produced by Elizabeth on all platforms: Spotify, Apple, Google, alladem !
Carried out through July 2020 by the Prevent Gender Based Violence Network ( @preventgbvnetwork ) - this ‘Body Politics’ campaign was launched to inspire women to feel more acceptance of their bodies and to also involve individuals and communities in challenging patriarchal norms that normalise violence against women and girls.
See the free resources and brief for the campaign here > https://bit.ly/30SAD91
This was one of my first editorial illustrations - for the cover of the Hivos publication ‘Counter the Digital Monoculture’. In this vibrant digital publication, there are interviews from seven future-oriented activists, artists and academics:
“ We asked them, “How can we counter the digital monoculture?” The interviews cover a wide range of topics, from indigenous futurism to afro-feminism, speculative storytelling, and the need for a fossil-free internet. “
https://hivos.org/new-publication-counter-the-digital-monoculture/
I was grateful to be part of this project and for the opportunity to create this cover. Before I got the brief I had just watched an amazing documentary called ‘The Biggest Little Farm’ about a failing farm that was transformed in to a thriving paradise by polyculture farming. Then came this brief, and the parallels were many so I chose to reflect the farming, plant life metaphor within the illustration. The left side is tech and one colour - the techie blue. In the centre a 'watering can' pours in the arts, activism and this leads to the right side which is the creative digital life flourishing in to a polyculture.
Thanks to Sally, Arthur and Hivos for the lovely opportunity to create this.
Leading from the South (LFS) is a feminist philanthropic fund and alliance conceptualised and managed by four leading women’s funds: African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), Fondo de Mujeres del Sur (FMS), International Indigenous Women’s Forum (FIMI) / AYNI Fund (AYNI), and Women’s Fund Asia (WFA).
Back in 2017, I worked primarily with AWDF to develop this brand for the fund. It was lovely working on a brand that aligns with my core values so strongly.
Nyota Farsamo is a Somali-Kenyan artisan collective from Dadaab making beautifully handcrafted products inspired by their Somali heritage.
I had the pleasure of working on the development of this brand and collateral for their Dadaab Connection events.
Inspiration for the logo was drawn from the Somali flag and the henna patterns that adorn many of the artisans hands.
Raising Voices is a nonprofit organization based in Kampala, Uganda working toward the prevention of violence against women and children. They collaborated with the African Women’s Development Fund to design a primer whose aim is to strengthen programming, advocacy, and research for evidence-based violence against women prevention in Africa.
They approached me to create this primer and I was delighted to work on it, as it fits directly in line with my personal ethos and what I love to design for. They were a great client, giving a lot of creative freedom - albeit a few space restrictions. However, we worked within those limitations and tried to create something that was bright, approachable while still conveying all the pertinent and necessary information.
I love hand drawing type, particularly quotes and especially song lyrics. It's one of my favourite mindful activities. I'm still working on it and figuring out my personal style. Here's a few examples from 2012 to present.
I usually experiment on my instagram @_kulula . If you're interested in buying one of these as a print or greeting card, message me - nzilani@gmail.com :)
Logos and further brand extensions
I worked with the International Trade Centre’s to develop brochures for the RESI - Refugee Employment and Skills Initiative project that aims to link refugees in Dadaab, Kenya to IT-enabled market opportunities.
'Kando kando' is a visual mixed media essay taking a deeper look in to the lives of people who make a living from the Nairobi transport system. 'Kando' meaning ' side' in Swahili, relates to their position - that is perhaps not seen as part of the main system - although they are just as essential to the Nairobi transport eco-system. The three portraits (static and dynamic) portray a Nairobi county parking attendant - Josephine Jepkembei Situk, a car washing expert - Moses Lumbasi Enoch and a fuel station oil expert - Damarice Otieno Omolo. They are depicted on an African textile style background - they are part of the city's fabric. Within the fabric, elements of their livelihoods are also depicted. In the animated portrait versions we hear them speak - telling us briefly about their origins, their work story and also impart a few words of wisdom. Modes of Nairobi transport drive by as well.
It was great to work with Akina Mama wa Afrika on this cover for the ‘Intersectional Feminist Climate Justice Guide’.
Various infographics displaying Kenya's performance at the Olympics
I was commissioned by SportsKenya and Smurt Notes to create an infographic on Kenya's performance in the Olympics for the London 2012 Games. A fascinating history of Kenyan sportsmanship unraveled as I researched this and it became a truly enjoyable project. That coupled with my love for the Olympics in general made this very fun to do and I eventually engaged with the project on a personal level. I then made a decision to try do this every Olympics even without a commissioning.
When the Rio 2016 Games came around I re-did the fist infographic in a portrait format and added in the 2012 stats. And during the Games I did smaller infographics each time a Kenyan won ( a lot of times :) ) and posted them on twitter - making this my first personal content creation project. These eventually culminated in to the visualization displaying Kenyas performance in Rio.
Looking forward to Tokyo !
Working on this digital report for Nendo was exciting. Mark of Nendo gave me a lot of creative freedom - allowing me to experiment with his already very cool brand elements and vibrant colour palette.
You can download the full report here.
HEVA Fund illustrations commissioned to for their Creative Economy report
Layout design for the CCTO report.
Book cover for 'Ghosts of 1894' by Oduor Jagero
Illustrated content for Kenyan spa booking website - Spadreaming . This work mainly appeared on SpaDreaming's super interesting Me-Time blog.
A few different data visualizations and infographics
A few event posters.
