Away from Africa

This year, I am spending time in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A., with Winsome Edwards, who created an art gallery, first in New York City, which she then moved to Orlando in 2003: the International Portfolio Gallery represents artists from all corners of the African diaspora: African-American, and Caribbean, as well as African artists from the continent. Through her, I met Trent Tomengo, who prefers to be identified as Black American rather than African-American, as he hails from the United States for many generations. He is a Florida native and moved to Orlando when he was five years old. Trent has always wanted to be an artist. As a child, he loved art; his mother owned a Bible illustrated with old Master paintings, which fascinated him. Drawing came easily to him. His first painting was of a pig, much beloved by his first grade teacher! Above: Prelude to Joe, oil on canvas, 2015, 28" x 36" In college, he majored in fine arts, earning degrees from Stetson University in Painting, ...

  Jacques Agbobly’s Journey from Lomé to American Fashion’s Future

Picket with a black rhino on a dehorning exercise* A few years ago, in 2021, we had the pleasure of meeting  Picket Chabwedzeka at the Hwange game count . Born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, he studied Geography and Environmental Management in South Africa. After working for several years in a South African game reserve, he returned to Zimbabwe and enrolled in a Master’s degree program, graduating with an MS in ecological resources management. He went on to receive a Post Graduate Certificate in Ecological Survey techniques at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.  He currently serves as a Game Reserve Manager in a private reserve near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, where he lives on the premises with his young family, surrounded by a variety of wildlife, including many birds. His passion and area of expertise is rhinoceros conservation, both black and white rhinos. Aside from humans, rhinos have no natural predators, yet they remain under constant threat due to poaching drive...

Ms. Ngurungunda pounding aromatic herbs Ever since I saw a video about Herero women and their distinctive way of dressing years ago, I had hoped to one day see them in real life. When I finally did, they were every bit as captivating as I imagined—but what struck me even more was how much I learned about the Herero people, their history, and the broader Bantu cultural heritage across Sub-Saharan Africa. One of the facts I learned was that the first genocide of the 20th century was committed against the Herero people. Germany had colonized Namibia in 1884, often using deceptive agreements. The Herero and Nama were pastoralist communities, but as more German settlers arrived, their land was systematically confiscated. In response, the Herero rebelled—and the consequences were devastating. Between 1904 and 1908, an estimated 80% of the Herero population  was killed.* Ombu Village, Namibia In May of this year, I visited the Ombu Herero Cultural Village in northern Namibia, located off ...

  Paris Noir showcases many of the Black artists who came to live in Paris, study in Paris, work in Paris, from all over the world. Paris was especially a refuge for Black American artists who in the 1950s fled Jim Crow and the lack of freedom in the United States to live a free(-er) life in France. The show includes visual art: paintings, collages, and sculptures, as well as film clips, and texts describing the various periods in time, between the 1950s and 2000. As per the Centre Pompidou website : From the creation of the  Présence Africaine  review to that of  Revue noire , “Black Paris” retraces the presence and influence of Black artists in France from the 1950s to 2000. The exhibition celebrates 150 artists coming from Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean, whose works have often never been displayed in France before. Gerard Sekoto, South Africa: Self-Portrait, 1947 Artists shown hail from Martinique, Guadeloupe, the former French African colonies: Senegal, C...

Examples of Duala and Bamileke Matriarchal Authority... and a note from Zimbabwe Nowadays, seen from afar, African women appear to be living in very patriarchal societies for the most part. That impression would often not be incorrect, sadly. An exception could be made for the powerful “Mami Benz,” the traders of West Africa. On the other hand, who knows how the men in their family might be behaving with them, no matter their wealth and power! African women had a recognized authority in the socio-political and economic spaces established by traditional cultures. Cameroon has examples of traditional roles played by women. Some of these roles are still relevant today.   Amongst the Duala, the eldest daughter in a family was known as the Mangon, literally “Mother woman.” Even when she marries into another village community, she continues to play a vital role in the important stages of family life, such as births, marriages, and widowhood. She is the last resort in family disputes...