Quick Info about Jim: picky with what I put on my hair because a lot- Nomination at African of companies claim to be created for people of color’s hair textures, but they don’t seem Art Awards to understand [that] some of their products- Has an exhibition on can be drying rather than hydrating.” For this reason, she’ll often use all-natural nourish- view at the Zeitz Moccaa ing shea butter, as well as argan and avoca-- Recently had an do oils to keep her curl pattern moisturized. But Parker underscores that she didn’t always exhibition in London embrace her curls: “There was a point in my- He has been taking life where I denied aspects of my blackness,” she says, recalling times when she would photos since high school downplay her natural texture. Loving yourself is the biggest weapon of them all.” From laying down tracks to get a room full of people dancing, to spreading body positiv- ity and social awareness on Instagram, Parker is just the kind of young renaissance woman Gen Z needs. And rest assured, she’s just get- ting started. Fenty Beauty campaign, which is fitting considering that like Bad Gal RiRi, she can pull off bold statements, like shocking neon eyeshadow or holographic highlighter, with aplomb. A text is a sequence of words. A text stays the same no matt er how it’s ren dered. Cons ider the sent ence “I like pizza.” I can print that text on a piece of paper, or read it aloud, or save it in a file on my lapt op. It’ll be the same text, just rend ered diff erent ways—visua lly, audib ly, digitally. Jim Chuchu 44
They claimed that if the same theaters (Friday Night Lights) and not so good (All Myhad attempted to host an all-male screening Children), Jordan finally got his big movieof, say, Thor 3, no one would allow it. These break with Fruitvale Station. There he metcomplaints seemed to come from a future era, the director with whom he’d go on to makein which men have forgotten that, for the last Creed and Black Panther. “Ryan [Coogler] isfew millennia, they were, in fact, the ones Michael’s Scorsese,” says Warner Bros.’ Tsu-methodically creating spaces where only, jihara, a comparison that would make Jordanthen mostly, men could be. Coogler’s Leonardo DiCaprio or Robert De Niro. “We had this shorthand as soon as we This happens to be the world of Naomi met,” Coogler tells me. “We’re the same age,Alderman’s new novel, The Power. Or, rath- we come from similar families and from citieser, it’s the world of Neil Adam Armon, a fic- with similar codes.” He laughs. “Of course, ittional author who has sent a historical novel doesn’t hurt that Mike’s insanely talented.”called The Power to a writer named NaomiAlderman for an early read. We can call Neil Jordan gets to show off the dark side ofa “man author,” like we do so often with that talent in Black Panther, in which he“women authors,” because, in the future Neil plays Erik Killmonger (his name says it all),lives in, he’s the one who is cautiously writ- who battles his counterpart for control ofing against a tradition that excludes his sex. the fictional Wakanda, a secretive, techno-His letter to Naomi is postmarked accordingly logically advanced African nation. “I wantedfrom an organization unrecognizable to us in a villain,” he says, pushing aside the platethe real world: something called “The Men of sausages in defeat. “I was getting tired ofWriters Association.“Thank you so much for ‘He’s a good guy, a likable guy; he’s so nice.’this,” he gushes in a cover letter that reso- ” Jordan took the preparation seriously: “Inates with any woman who has sent off her lived Erik for a long time,” he says. “I drankown fawning letters to men of influence. He a lot. I grew my hair out. I grew my full beard.got started in the business through one of I walked around with a chip on my shoulderhis mother’s friends, who had sons who did and had a short fuse for, like, nine months. Isome modeling in Newark. He then appeared just didn’t care. People treated me totally dif-in local ads for Toys “R” Us and by age twelve ferently. White people were definitely intimi-had landed small roles on two TV jugger- dated. I became their worst nightmare.”nauts, Cosby and The Sopranos. By four-teen, he was appearing in The Wire, where Did any part of him enjoy cutting loosehis character’s eventual murder was perhaps in this way? “Yeah,” he says with a slight-the bleakest scene in a show renowned for ly abashed grin. “It did feel good. I had anits oppressiveness. Even as the experience to worry about how somebody was going toshowed him how much he loved acting—“I take what I said. It was liberating.”If he islost myself in a role”—it didn’t lead to over- open about his process, he is guarded when itnight success. He vividly remembers the day comes to his private life. This isn’t surprisingthat he and Brim, both broke, swallowed their given he raised the ire of some fans merelypride and decided to apply for jobs at Jack in by being seen with Kendall Jenner outside athe Box. After years on shows that were good party (they weren’t, he insists, an item), and, like virtually all unmarried Hollywood actors,45 Photography
“I’m a visual person, so [I treat] the body like a canvas”he has faced claims that he’s secretly gay. wright Tarell Alvin McCraney (who co-wroteWhen I ask whether he’s currently involved Moonlight). He also recently signed on towith anyone, he gives his Polo S watch a executive-produce and act in Raising Dion,slight get-me-out-of-here glance, mutters the upcoming Netflix show about a singlesome stuff about how hard it is to date in L.A. mother bringing up a superhero. When I ask(bad traffic, opportunistic people), then says where he gets his drive, he says he doesn’the’s too busy to allow himself the distraction know but tells me how, as a boy in New Jer-of romance. He spends his free time working sey, he would look over at the looming Newout, playing the NBA 2K and Call of Duty vid- York City skyline.eo games with friends, and, his father’s son,cooking whenever he can. “My dreams are huge, man. I dream all day every day. Do I want to get into restau- He makes, he tells me, a mean broc- rants one day? Yeah! Do I want to get intocoli-and-Parmesan risotto. But really, he hospitality and have my own hotels? Yeah, Iinsists, his life is all about working. He has do! Do I want to have a huge production com-endorsement deals with Nike, Acura, and pany that’s wheeling.Piaget (which explains the Polo S). He andhis company are developing a reboot of TheThomas Crown Affair (“It’s one of my favor-ites”), working on an animated project cur-rently titled Super Day Care for 2019, andputting together a television show with play- Jim Chuchu 46
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FINE ARTeddy kamuanga illungacyrus kabiru
A Journey Into theMind of Artist EddyKamuanga IlungaText by: SEAN O’TOOLEOral History Project is a unique series of one-on-one Collectionsinterviews with New York-based African-American art- Charles Saatchiists, curators, and cultural figures. It aims to shine a light TMB Bankon the lives and careers of distinguished practitioners Fondation Gervanne et Matthi-across the arts, many of whom remain under-recog- as Leridonnized. Since 2014, we have spoken with over a dozen art- Selected solo exhibitionsists including, Melvin Edwards, Wangechi Mutu, Edward 2016 Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga,Clark, and Stanley Whitney. October Gallery, London, UK 2017 Bala Bala (Street), Kinsha- Wangechi Mutu was born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1972. sa, DRCShe received a BFA at the Cooper Union and later receivedan MFA from Yale University in 2000. Her work has beenfeatured in solo exhibitions at institutions including theDeutsche Guggenheim, Berlin; the Wiels ContemporaryArt Centre in Brussels; the Nasher Museum of Art at DukeUniversity; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.She has participated in group exhibitions at New York’sGuggenheim Museum, the Studio Museum in Harlem,the Bronx Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and numer-ous others—including the Tate Liverpool, the VancouverArt Gallery, and the Palais de Tokyo. Mutu’s work exploresthe interplay between “the real” and fiction, combiningideas found in literature, history, and fables to examinefemale identity and women’s roles throughout history.She has made sketches and created collages and videoabout the female body since her days at Cooper Union.In my view, allegory is central to her work and is madeapparent through the use of collage, and fragmented orconstructed imagery. The complexity of her layering ofobjects, mark-making, and collage is achieved through49 Fine Art
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her use of translucent materials, photography, and draw- Short Bio:ing. She also works with performance, a central compo- Eddy was born in Nairobi, Kenya,nent of her video installations. For some 15 years now, I in 1972. He received a BFA at thehave had the distinct pleasure of seeing Mutu pose for the Cooper Union and later receivedcamera for other artists of the kind. an MFA from Yale University in 2000. His work has been featured As I’ve followed Mutu over the years, I have had oppor- in solo exhibitions at institutionstunities to see her work in museums here in New York including the Deutsche Guggen-City, in Toronto, and in galleries in cites both large and heim, Berlin; the Wiels Contem-small. I love watching people engage and question as they porary Art Centre in Brussels; theview her work. My own writing and artwork also focuses Nasher Museum of Art at Dukeon the black female body, and I am intrigued by the way University, and the San FranciscoMutu manages to successfully focus her vision on sexual- Museum of Modern Art.ity, desire, and colonialism—while also incorporating girlculture, as well as popular and art historical references. Exhibition Showings:She keeps her viewers engaged as she delves into and visu- She has participated in groupally illuminates universal stories about ritual and myth. exhibitions at New York’s Gug-In this oral history, I hope to introduce new readings of genheim Museum, the Studiohow her work is viewed, consumed, collected, appreciated, Museum in Harlem, the Bronxand critiqued. Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and numerous others. I have to say that I’ve been a massive admirer of yourwork, so this is a little nerve-wracking and wonderful. It’severything that I dreamed would happen eventually, thatwe’d have this conversation. I was born in Nairobi, thecapital of Kenya, in Nairobi Hospital, the second born in afamily of four, and I was raised in Kenya. I went to nursery,primary, and secondary school in Nairobi at Loreto Con-vent Msongari, and then I left when I was 17 to go to theUnited World College of the Atlantic in Wales. But I feellike my brain, my consciousness, was built and formed inKenya, and I’m Kenyan in heart. My mother’s name is Tabitha Wambura Mutu and sheis married to my father, Gethoi Gichuru Mutu. They areboth from this highland area in Kenya where our peopleare from, Nyeri. My grandparents are also from that area,and so we are Kikuyu, essentially. The Kikuyu are one ofthe original, precolonial nations of Kenya. The Kikuyu livein various parts of the country today, but before Chris-tianity was introduced to central Kenya, we lived mostlyon the slopes around Mount Kenya or Kirinyaga (Place ofBrightness) where we farmed the hilly slopes. My parentsgot married in 1969, had my sister in ‘70, and had me in51 Fine Art
‘72, are special to the Willis family too because Songha Favorite artists:Thomas Willis, my nephew’s father, was a Kikuyu. And Tony GumI recall when Songha met you in the mid-‘90s and how Lady Skollieexciting it was to have that connection with you Paul Graham Delio Jasse Lady Bird is not another teen movie—but you know Howard Mcgregorthat by now. The New York Times’s A. O. Scott calledGreta Gerwig’s directorial debut “perfect” and the film Plans for future projects:has a rare 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. April I plan on collaborating with cre-Napier’s costume design is just one piece of the puzzle atives in different disciplines.that makes up Lady Bird’s success, but a not insignifi- I think it would be cool to combinecant one. In shepherding Saoirse Ronan’s Christine “Lady painting and fashion. That is one ofBird” McPherson through some 96 outfit changes, Napi- my goals.er had the challenge of dressing a character struggling tofind herself. Over the course of the film, Lady Bird goesfrom a musical-theater nerd to an emo-yet-popular girl,all while navigating heated kitchen counter and passen-ger seat arguments familiar to all who’ve gone throughthe molting process of being a teenager. The movie is anemotional whirlwind that sometimes feels more like awhirlpool, racing through Lady Bird’s senior year of highschool at an arresting clip. Not to plagiarize the Times, butthe costumes are perfect. The genius of Napier’s design is that she’s dressedthe cast in ensembles that have both the precision of adocumentary and the rose-tinted beauty of nostalgia.The uniforms, the Kennedy-esque half-zips, the boot-cutjeans, school shoes, tugged-on cardigans, and dainty ladydresses are resplendently mundane. They look exactly likethe items any aughts teen would have plucked from localthrift store bins, mid-American strip malls, or the kindsof blink-and-they’re-out-of-business stores you’d oncefind in “nice” malls. The outfits ring so true that if you,like I, happen to have been a teen in the 2000s, you’ll seethe film as a sort catalog of your own past and pluck outthe T-shirts you had, the shoes you wore, and the leath-er bracelets you stacked on your wrist. At the same time,Napier’s costumes have a certain polish—it is a movie,after all—and against the Anywhere, USA, backdrop ofSacramento, California, the characters have nostalgichalos hanging around them. this really the past or is thisjust how I remember it. Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga 52
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From Trashto TreasureKenyan Artist, CyrusKabiru Digs ThroughElectronic Refuseand Found Metalto Create DazzlingSculptural EyewearBiography:Cyrus Kabiru was born in 1984 in Nairobi,Kenya, where he still lives and works. Hehas exhibited frequently both internation-ally and on the African continent. In 2016,Kabiru was the resident artist at the HanNefkens Foundation in Barcelona, Spain,where he was also the first artist to partic-ipate in the Flow Series talks programme– a joint initiative of the Han Nefkens Foun-dation and the Antoni Tàpies Foundation.Text by: HELEN JENNINGSPhotographer: SEAN O’TOOLE55 Fine Art
Hands, cast-aside bolts, wires, spoons and Notable solo exhibitions include:bottle tops gain a new lease of life as vital Upcoming in 2010 at the Kuona Trustcomponents of whimsical pieces of art. in Nairobi, Kenya; Cyrus Kabiru at theStripped of their original value, the recycled Kunstpodium T Gallery in Tilburg,materials are transformed into steampunk, Netherlands in 2011; and C-Stunnersone-of-a-kind creations that transcend tra- & Black Mamba at SMAC Gallery inditional forms and challenge stereotypes. It’s Cape Town in 2015. In 2013, Kabiruhard to think of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion was a fellow at TED’s The Young, TheShow without envisioning a larger-than-life Gifted, The Undiscovered in the USA.event, but in truth, it had humble beginnings. That same year, Kabiru exhibited at theLong before the brand headed to glamor- Lagos Photo Festival in Nigeria and hisous locations like Paris, London, and, soon, work formed part of Afrofuture: Adven-Shanghai, or tapped chart-topping musicians ture with Makers.to perform, the event was an elegant indus-try-only party. It all started in 1995 at NewYork’s Plaza Hotel with an evening hosted bysupermodel Stephanie Seymour, and photo-graphs reveal that the early VS shows offereda different kind of entertainment.Thoughthere were plenty of seductive lingerie piec-es on display and a slew of gorgeous runwaystars—Seymour, Veronica Webb, BeverlyPeele, and Frederique van der Wal amongthem—the vibe of the proceedings couldnot be more different than today’s sensoryoverload. Without wings, wild costumes, orelaborate hair and makeup, the look was stillsexy, but in an understated way. More than a showcase for the brand’sstyle evolution, the images from the very firstshow provide a glimpse at the pre-Internetfashion scene. With no streaming, socialmedia nonexistent, and the smartphone yetto be popularized, the elements now consid-ered essential parts of any show are notice-ably absent—yet, hardly missed. When youhave editors sipping Champagne at privatetables, the world’s most beautiful modelsshowing off decadent lace bustiers, and theenergy that comes with being on the brink ofsomething special, that’s really all you need. Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga 56
Here, a throwback to VS’s early days, as and go pink, riff off of Knoebel’s explorationthe world waits to see what the brand has in of vibrant, saturated hues. “It’s really nice,store for Shanghai. actually,” Wandler says of the eye-catching combination. “If you have a more tonal out- When Net-a-Porter’s buying team rang fit, it’s very chic.”the doorbell at the London Airbnb whereElza Wandler was presenting her brand-new As for what to expect from coming collec-namesake collection, she couldn’t find the tions (which have already been snapped up bykey to let them in. “It was a big wooden door MatchesFashion.com, The Webster, and oth-that you had to lock on the inside,” she says. ers)? More wacky color combinations, sure-“When I finally opened the door, my hands ly, as well as a host of new materials. “Nextwere shaking!” Apparently, though, her bold season,” Wandler says with a smile, “You’lland bright Italian calf-leather bags were be surprised by the textures.” Sounds like aworth the wait: The high-end retail giant street style staple in the making. Oh baby,quickly secured the exclusive to the debut baby! This morning, Miranda Kerr and Evanrange, which launches online today. Spiegel announced they are expecting their first child together. A representative con- “I’m not a person who draws on a white firmed to multiple outlets: “Miranda, Evan,piece of paper,” says the Dutch designer, and Flynn are looking forward to welcomingwho’s attracted to the sculptural nature of the newest member of their family.”accessories. In lieu of a notepad, Wandler’sprocess began at her sewing machine (specif- Flynn is Kerr’s son from her previousically made for handling leather), where she marriage to Orlando Bloom.The happy newscrafted the bags’ starting frames. The first to comes six months after their intimate Lostake shape was the rounded, trapeze-edged Angeles wedding, where the model and Snap-Hortensia that’s already a favorite of stylist chat founder tied the knot in front of just 45Georgia Tal. “Once I had that, it was easy to guests. The bride wore a custom Dior Hautebuild off of it,” Wandler explains. Next came Couture Gown and the groom, a Dior for thea roomy tote, a half-moon sac, and a mini morning suit.bag, the last of which can be worn cross-body, slung around the waist, or, sans straps, There’s no word on sex or due date (yet),as a wallet. but one thing’s for certain: with two genet- ically blessed and business-saavy parents Though Wandler kept the lines clean and (Kerr has her own skincare line, Kora organ-architectural, her colors, which she devel- ics) this baby will have beauty and brains.oped herself, err on the “feminine” side.“I took a risk with the first collection not to December 1, Titanic will be showing in 87have [much] black in it,” she says, adding AMC theaters around the country in both 2-Dthat she was inspired by the German art- and 3-D. Though Kate Winslet recently brokeist Imi Knoebel’s layering of like-minded the hearts of fans around the world when shetones. Think a white palette that combines admitted do cied each other” this. new, one-pearl, cream, and sandy beige, or a green one week run will allow us to re-indulge in theof mint, and olive. Meanwhile, other styles young on-screen lovers for more than threelike the Miles, which comes striped with lime hours, while bathing in her voice. He recently won an award at the African Art awards and57 Fine Art
digging through electronic refuse and found “I don’t seemetal in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi, Cyrus trash as waste.Kabiru refashions found materials into dif- I just see theferent wearable forms. Often these take the trash as a chanceform of flamboyantly composed glasses, large for creativity.”eyewear that can often mask the entire face.Kabiru explains that his glasses obsession sculptures, installations and documentarystarted at a young age, and blossomed as his filmstemporary flâneur, Kabiru’s sculpturesfather crushed his dreams of owning his own find their conceptual origins from the diversepair. “When I was young, I used to admire urban spaces that Kabiru observes and tra-Real glasses but my dad was a bit harsh and verses, both at home in Kenya and during hishe never wanted me to have real glasses. international travels. These intricate assem-That’s the reason I started making the wire blages are fashioned from urban debris andglasses for sale.” obsolete technology, that has been carefully selected and imaginatively re-contextualised. His creations situate themselves in sev- Engaging with the aesthetic and attitude oferal different areas of art, shuffling between Afrofuturism, Kabiru’s practice challengesperformance, sculpture, and fashion— the effects of modernisation, and explodeembodying the playfulness of the youth limitations on the imagination of the futuregeneration in Nairobi. “When you walk in in ways that hold performative and transfor-town and you see someone with my glasses, mative potential.the glasses will [get] all your attention,” saidKabiru. “If you have any stress it is like a free Ever since he was a young boy, Kenyanform of therapy.” artist Cyrus Kabiru has envisaged breathing new life into his surroundings. “When I woke In addition to his found object sculp- up every morning, the first thing I’d see wastures and glasses, Kabiru is a self-taught trash,” recalls Kabiru, whose childhood homepainter, his subject matter being humorous faced a garbage heap where all of Nairobi’sportrayal of contemporary Kenyan life. His waste was dumped. “I used to say to my dadmost recent series uses thousands of bottle that when I grow up, I want to give trash acaps sewn together to depict African nature. second chance.”“I really love trash. I try to give trash a sec-ond chance. I change it to be something else, And that’s exactly what he went on to do.which is like it will stay for more than 100 A self-taught sculptor and painter, Kabiruyears now.” As an artist, Cyrus Kabiru actively is crafting visually striking artworks frompushes the boundaries of conventional crafts- abandoned refuse he collects from the streetsmanship, sculpture, fashion, design, art and of the Kenyan capital. The talented artist isphotography. Kabiru creates intricate sculp- best known for his “C-Stunners,” a series oftural works from found materials. He is best eye-catching handmade spectacles.known for his collection of eyewear titledC-Stunners, and self-portrait photographswearing his creations. Kabiru’s practice hasexpanded in recent years to include larger Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga 58
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SOCIALACTIVISMboitumelo rametsiluvuyo nyawosezanele muhloli
Spotted Beauty:Vitiligo AwarenessMovement Text by GABRIELLA PINTO Soweto-born and based creative Boitumelo Rametsi — Photographer: ANDIE ANDERSON who features in our Newd campaign — recently founded Spotted Beauty, a project which originally appeared as her65 Social Activism personal Facebook page in 2012 to raise awareness around vitiligo, a condition causing skin to lose its pigment cells and change colour. Since then, it has transformed into a campaign and collaborative movement to encourage “oth- ers to see the beauty in themselves”. Boitumelo met Tevin Fynn, her campaign partner, on Instagram and the two, who both have the skin condi- tion, instantly bonded over their common life experiences. Together, through their photo series shot by photographer Thobile Nhlapo, they hope to inspire greater self-accep- tance and awareness around vitiligo. “Our bodies are here to get us through all trials and tribulations of life and every single being on earth should be loved and accepted for who and what they are. The beauty is in how you make the best of the body you have,” says Boitumelo. “We see ourselves as rebels with a cause. Unlike many trying to raise funds for cures and treatment, we want to remain as we are and live life to the fullest, whilst encour- aging the rest of the world to do the same,” explains the duo. Spotted Beauty has also joined forces with photogra- pher Reatile Moalusi to expand on his series Pigment, an extension of his umbrella vitiligo project, Mollo Wa Badi- mo, which forms part of a new group exhibition in Joburg,
titled Vital Signs. Shot in black and white in Orlando West,it comments on South Africa’s grappling sense of identity,tonality and preferential treatment based on appearance.Offering words of encouragement to those who have vit-iligo, Boutimetla says, ”It’s okay to feel the way you do.This journey of self-love and acceptance is of your own.Take care of yourself, nurture your skin and protect it withsunscreen. Understand that you are different and that isbeautiful.” Take care of yourself, nurture your skin andprotect it with. sunscreen. Understand that you are dif-ferent and that is beautiful.”This week, as the holidays inch ever closer, the bestbeauty Instagrams tapped into a sense of seasonallyappropriate glamour—and the desire to step up a calo-rie-torching fitness game prior to Thanksgiving dinner.For Solange Knowles, who channeled Education: Vega school of brandingthe sun’s softly fading rays through communications.her platinum crop, reflective ear- From: Johannesburg, South Africa.rings, and a butter yellow slip of a When did you feel most beautiful indress, it was all about keeping her your skin?glowing skin on display. Meanwhile, After high school. I decided that what-Hari Nef tried on lavender dusted lids ever journey my body is going through,that echoed the bold violet tones of a I will still accept and love it.70s-influenced top, her soft blondelengths only elevated by a few inches of moody roots, andAmaal Said’s classic crimson lip found present tense cur-rency when paired with a color coordinated cherry hijab.And as Imaan Hammam perfected her squats, and KarlieKloss finished the New York City Marathon, the sisters ofHaim made their inaugural visit to a spa. The latter triocommemorated the occasion with a mirror selfie featur-ing toweled manes and individualized shades—proof thatself-care comes in endlessly inspiring forms.When you think of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show,you’re likely to imagine the diamond-studded Fantasy Braor layers of pink lace—but who says an Angel can’t be apunk, too? The mega-brand is always evolving, and forthis year’s Shanghai extravaganza, it enlisted Balmaindesigner Olivier Rousteing to reimagine the tradition-al Angel accessory. Inspired by the spirit of 1970s rock,Rousteing dreamed up a look fit for a runway rebel. Boitumelo Rametsi 66
“It’s okay to feel the way you do. This journey of self- love and acceptance is of your own. Understand that you are different, beautiful.” “Our bodies are here to get us through all trials and tribulations of life and every single being on earth should be loved and accepted for who and what they are. The beauty is in how you make the best of the body you have,” says Boitumelo. “We see ourselves as rebels with a cause. Unlike many trying to raise funds for cures and treatment, we want to remain as we are and live life to the fullest, whilst encour- aging the rest of the world to do the same,” explains the duo.Spotted Beauty has also joined forces with photogra- pher Reatile Moalusi to expand on his series Pigment, an extension of his umbrella vitiligo project, Mollo Wa Badi- mo, which forms part of a new group exhibition in Joburg, titled Vital Signs.Shot in black and white in Orlando West, it comments on South Africa’s grappling sense of identity, tonality and preferential treatment based on appearance. Offering words of encouragement to those who have vit- iligo, Boutimetla says, ”It’s okay to feel the way you do. This journey of self-love and acceptance is of your own. Take care of yourself, nurture your skin and protect it with. sunscreen. Understand that you are different, beautiful.” When fictional journalist Andie Anderson set out on a mission to lose a guy in 10 days for an article in the 2003 rom-com, she did everything in her power to drive. The chaotic connotations of Black Friday are enough to make anyone skip the endless shopping lines in favor of a prolonged spa ritual inside her very own bathroom,67 Social Activism
be it masking, an out-of-the-box wellness treatment,or a long, hot bath. But deeply discounted or not, whynot use the afternoon as an opportunity to upgrade yourvanity with a stockpile of cultish products that will seeyou through the winter? Plushy piles of Chanel Le Cotonsquares seem less extravagant and more essential whenpurchased online in bulk, offering an elevated take on atraditional face cleansing that is only furthered by an backstocked arsenal of skin transformative. Hair gets the holiday treatment with a lathering of OribeSignature Shampoo and Conditioner—buy it in a gleamingsupersized magnum!—while an ocean’s worth of Bumbleand Bumble Surf Infusion will provide a sensory reminderof summer’s lazy days all year long. Indoors, however, it’sworth hoarding a dozen Diptyque FiguierCandles, which—if you’re lucky, swift,and tenacious—will perfume your homewith pockets of woodsy fragrance all sea-son long. As for La Mer’s The Lip Balm?One for your clutch, one for the bedside,and one for good measure. Here, a col-lection of sought-after beauty productsto buy in bulk come Black Friday. Thereare many modes of communicating veryspecific things via emojis these days. Ifsomething smells, tastes, or looks bad,text one of those cartoon piles of smilingpoop. Going to puke? Send the vomit smiley face for sure. Ghosts, aliens, hospital buildings, sad cats, naughtymonkeys, the Queen’s foot guards, and decapitated armsholding up phones for a selfie are all represented. Onewould think that with such a wealth of visual symbols toexpress our every emotion or vapid thought, there wouldbe more options in the clothing category for men andwomen, and particularly for the latter—ladies, raise yourhand if you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a pink pol-ka-dot bikini and red stilettos, let alone use them togetherin a single text message. Right now, only 12 clothing andshoe emojis exist on the standard smartphone. Boitumelo Rametsi 68
Text by: JANELLE OKWODUPhotographer: BOITUMELO RAMETSI69 Social Activism
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GenderBendingCape Town artist A brand new look book Utopia Sol shot byLuvuyo Nyawose Cape Town-based photographer Gabriellastars in a brand new Achadinah, featuring Capetonian perfor-look book inspired by mance artist, writer and director Luvuyocarefree trailblazers. Nyawose, who is currently working on a short film called Doreen, pays tribute to the mas-Text by: TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET culine and feminine qualities intrinsic in all.Photographer: LANA FREDERICKSStylist: LUVUYO NYAWOSE Aesthetically, the shots of landscape,71 Social Activism blue sky and stylised accents from the red athleisure wardrobe take inspiration from American filmmaker Gus van Sant’s 1991 adventure drama My Own Private Idaho, a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV. For me, the spirit of the look book is inspired by the triumphant nature of carefree trail- blazers who live an honest and authentic life. Androgyny has become widely publicised and trendy… Many cishet bodies have jumped on the bandwagon and although it’s somewhat positive as it challenges traditional gender stereotypes, it can also be violent towards
transgender, gender nonconformity as well as fragrances suggest that she might smell likenon-binary bodies, who face discrimination pure honey or a fatal flower; like glam, likeand are marginalised from society,” explains love, like a reflection of “the many facets ofLuvuyo. Explaining how the project came an evolving icon”(translation: bergamot andtogether Gabriella says, “I’ve known Luvuyo peach). Like actual gold. To watch Keeping Upfor about four years and he’s always been a With the Kardashians and see her in her pris-muse. He’s effortlessly just himself — no tine, cream-colored home, where childrenpretense or need for trend, just a genuinely implausibly do not spill juice or crush Chee-authentic and interesting artist.” rios, is to imagine wafts of plastic just pulled from a new couch, unreleased Yeezy sneak- Shot close to Kleinpaas Dam in Simon- ers still fresh with silica packets, air some-stown. “The location provided a variety of how filtered by Kris Jenner; Windex and ice.terrain from moon-landscape rocks to spring Until this morning, when Kardashian Westblossoms, and large tracts of terracotta gravel released her new KKW fragrance, Crystal Gar-so Luvuyo and the fashion stood out against denia—teased incessantly on Instagram withthe natural surroundings,” says set designer a Mert and Marcus–lensed campaign photoLana Fredericks. of Kardashian West wearing a geode pendant and one particularly sultry pirate blouse— Gabriella says the images aim to present the social media mogul’s favorite fragrancea softer, less harshly sexualised approach was her first one, Kim Kardashian Signature.to androgyny and does much to challenge Launched in 2009, it hit the market just asconservative, heteronormative attitudes on KUWTK reached new ratings highs, catapult-gendered clothes. “There is nothing con- ing the family’s particular brand of Calabasastroversial or edgy about a boy in a skirt or a culture into the ethos. “It’s fun to look backboy “I’ve known Luvuyo for about four years and see all of the signings and appearancesand he’s always been a muse. He’s effort- I did for it,” Kardashian West recalled a fewlessly just himself — no pretense or need for days ago. “It was my first real introductiontrend, just a genuinely authentic and inter- to beauty.”esting artist.” Shot close to Kleinpaas Dam inSimonstown. “The location provided a vari- That family crash course in the cosmeticsety of terrain from moon-landscape rocks to industry eventually gave rise to Kylie Jenner’sspring blossoms, and large tracts of terracot- now infamous lip plumping empire, the cultta gravel so Luvuyo and the fashion stood out of Jen Atkin, and a social media–fueled maniaagainst the natural surroundings,” she says. for facial bones cut from makeup clay. This past June, Kardashian West turned the lat- Gabriella says the images aim to present ter into an official business venture, settinga softer, less harshly sexualised approach Twitter on fire when she debuted an epony-to androgyny and does much to challenge mous makeup brand with the launch of herconservative, heteronormative attitudes on own contour and highlighting kit. Now, alonggendered clothes. “There is nothing contro- comes a fragrance, which, like the Adidasversial or edgy about a boy in a skirt or a boy. sweats, the minimalist wedding band, andThere is no sure way of knowing how Kim the four slightly indistinguishable shadesKardashian West smells, but a cursory Goo-gle search provides clues. Her previous seven Luvuyo Nyawose 72
of KKW nude lipstick in various iterations of met, whose first break was as the bad-news“Kim” that are her present-day trademarks, boyfriend on the second season of Homeland,embodies the Kardashian West of late: calm, has also landed roles in Greta Gerwig’s solomature, given to overstated understate- directorial debut, Lady Bird; Christian Bale’sments, business-savvy. latest film, Hostiles; and an upcoming Woody Allen project. As we pay the bill, I ask what André Aciman’s novel Call Me by Your he’s planning to wear to the Toronto Interna-Name tells the story of Elio, a musically tional Film Festival, and he shows me a car-inclined Italian-American/French teen- amel double-breasted Berluti. I mention heager, and Oliver, a rakish graduate student looks like Gianni Agnelli in his 20s. “Who?”visiting Elio’s family’s home. Elio’s ini- Chalamet asks. It’s safe to say he’s still moretial annoyance with his houseguest gives French than Italian. “I’ve known Luvuyo forway to curiosity, then cryptic flirtation, about four years and he’s always been a muse.and eventually a furtive, passionate affair. He’s effortlessly just himself — no pretenseThe book has been considered a modern or need for trend, just a genuinely authenticclassic of queer literature since its publica- and interesting artist.”tion in 2007, but for Timothée Chalamet,the actor who plays Elio in the new film Shot close to Kleinpaas Dam in Simon-adaptation, it was also quite an investment. stown. “The location provided a variety of“I got a copy through the library at Columbia,” terrain from moon-landscape rocks to springsays the half-French New York City native over blossoms, and large tracts of terracotta gravelcoffee in the East Village. “But I forgot to give so Luvuyo and the fashion stood out againstit back for a year, so it was a $100 read. I still the natural surroundings,” says set design-have that copy.” er Lana Fredericks.Gabriella says the images aim to present a softer, less harshly sexual- The atmospheric intensity of the novel ised approach to androgyny and does muchwas a natural subject for Luca Guadagnino, to challenge conservative, heteronormativethe I Am Love director and longtime Tilda attitudes on gendered clothes. “There isSwinton collaborator. He cast Armie Hammer nothing controversial or edgy about a boy inopposite Chalamet, enlisted Sufjan Stevens to a skirt or a boy wearing. Other directors arecontribute to the sound track of the film, and equally keen to capture “the whole thing”:relocated the setting to Lombardy. He also Chalamet, whose first break was as theallowed Chalamet to integrate some French bad-news boyfriend on the second seasoninto the Italian and English script, giving of Homeland, has also landed roles in Gre-the film a seductive, borderless feel. As Cha- ta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut, Lady Bird;lamet puts it, “The lingual freedom fed the Christian Bale’s latest film, Hostiles; and anintellectual foreplay.” (Chalamet looks even upcoming Woody Allen project. As we pay theyounger than his 21 years, but he’s sharp- bill, I ask what he’s planning to wear to theer than actors twice his age. “He is exactly Toronto International Film Festival, and hewhat I imagined,” Aciman says of the cast- shows me a caramel double-breasted Berluti.ing choice. “Lankish, a bit brooding, book- I mention he looks like Gianni Agnelli in hisish—the whole thing.” Other directors are 20s. “Who?” Chalamet asks. It’s safe to sayequally keen to capture “the whole thing,”73 Social Activism
“For me, the spirit he’s still more French than Italian. A mutualof the look book is love of fashion brought Margherita Cardelliinspired by the trium- and Gerardo Cavaliere together. Margherita,phant nature of carefree the owner of a luxury and lifestyle commu-trailblazers who live an nication consulting business, and Gerardo, ahonest and authentic lawyer and the founder of a made-to-mea-life. Androgyny has sure Neapolitan tailoring business called Sar-become widely publi- toria Giuliva, were introduced at his atelier.cized and trendy. Many‘cishet’ bodies have “A common friend from Sicily was there,jumped on the band- and I went to say ‘hi.’” After this initial chancewagon and although it’s meeting, they dated for about a year beforesomewhat positive as Gerardo asked Margherita to marry. (Togeth-it challenges tradition- er, they now own Giuliva Heritage Collection,al gender stereotypes, which creates timeless garments made in Italyit can also be violent that celebrate the country’s authentic artisanaltowards transgender, craftsmanship.) Self-taught Ugandan-born,gender nonconformity Kenya-based photographer, Sarah Waiswa,as well as non-binary has a strong interest in the exploration ofbodies, who are margin- African identity. It was this curiosity that ledalised from society.” her to abandon a job in the corporate world in favour of pursuing a career in photography. Using her imagery to illustrate the various social issues affecting the continent, Waiswa felt compelled to address Africa’s relation- ship with albinism after reading an online article that detailed the atrocities that people with the condition face in certain regions.The resulting photo series is called Stranger In a Familiar Land and is a poignant depiction of the isolation and stigma that those with albi- nism often endure in certain parts of Africa. Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi are among some of the worst in terms of the treatment and per- secution of these individuals, and though Tan- zania has the highest prevalence of albinism in the world, a growing black market for body parts, hair and skin used by witch. Though it’s been a mild fall, the impend- ing chilly temperatures predicted to hit the Northeast later this week are likely to sig- nal the onset of parka mania. Another sure Luvuyo Nyawose 74
into the ethos. “It’s fun to look back and see “I am so excited aboutall of the signings and appearances I did for where this will take meit,” Kardashian West recalled a few days ago. and I’m happy because“It was my first real introduction to beauty.” I can do what I amThat Kardashian-family crash course in the passionate about.”cosmetics industry eventually gave rise toKylie Jenner’s now infamous lip plumping How about a blend of condensed, organicempire, the cult of Jen Atkin, and a social lightweight oils that delivers “universal heal-media–fueled mania for facial bones cut ing” in a smooth bullet form, like Cosmosfrom makeup clay. This past June, Kardashian Everywhere Salve? Multi-taskers in searchWest turned the latter into an official busi- of an instant on-the-go fix will fall in loveness venture, setting Twitter on fire when she with Dior’s instantly rejuvenating plumpingdebuted an eponymous makeup brand with balm with SPF 10. Malin + Goetz’s highly por-the launch of her own contour and highlight- table and moisturizing serum manages to feeling kit. Now, along comes a KKW fragrance, super-hydrating (yet not at allsticky), whilewhich, like the Adidas sweats, the minimal- those loyal to a bold lip color will slick onist wedding band, and the four slightly indis- Kopari’s Coconut Lip. Love, which can doubletinguishable shades of KKW nude lipstick as a flake-proofing priming base.Above, ninein various iterations of “Kim” that are her cold-weather balms to suit every chapped lippresent-day trademarks, embodies the Kar- need just in time for those brisk days ahead.dashian West of late: calm, mature, given to Though it’s been a mild fall, the impend-overstated understatements, business-savvy. ing chilly temperatures predicted to hit the Northeast later this week are likely to signal André Aciman’s novel Call Me by Your the onset of parka mania. Another sure signName tells the story of Elio, a musically that the weather. season has finally arrived?inclined Italian-American/French teenager, Given how often most women apply a favor-and Oliver, a rakish graduate student visiting ite lip balm, choosing the right formula canElio’s family’s home. Elio’s initial annoyance hold deeply personal significance.with his houseguest gives way to curiosity,then cryptic flirtation, and eventually a fur-tive, passionate affair. The book has beenconsidered a modern classic of queer liter-ature since its publication in 2007, but forTimothée Chalamet, the actor who plays Elioin the new film ad from the text is a sequenceof words. A text stays the same no matterhow it’s rend ered. Consider the sentence “Ilike pizza.” I can print that text on a pieceof paper, or read it aloud, or save it in a fileon my lap rend ered diff erent. ways—vis ually, audibly, digitally. The perpetual state ofseverely dry lips.75 Social Activism
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Artistic Genius Zanele Muhloli Visual Activist79 Social Activism
For her series “Faces and Phases”, Zan-ele Muholi photographed more than200 portraits of South Africa’s lesbiancommunity. “The portraits are at oncea visual statement and an archive,” shehas said, “marking, mapping, and pre-serving an often invisible communityfor posterity.” Muholi’s sensitive por-traits challenge the stigma surroundinggays and lesbians in South Africa, de-bunk the common rhetoric that homo-sexuality is un-African, and address thepreponderance of hate crimes againsthomosexuals in her native country. Hercommitment to redressing the socialinjustices faced by LGBTI communi-ty members is profound, and she em-braces a subjective perspective in herpractice by forming relationships withthe individuals she depicts. Zanele Muhloli 80
South African photographer and filmmaker Zan- ele Muholi was born in 1972 in Umlazi, South Africa. Self-identifying as a visual activist, Muholi’s develop- ment as a photographer is deeply intertwined with her advocacy on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans- gender, and intersex (LGBTI) community in South Africa and beyond. After Muholi cofounded the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW) in 2002, she enrolled in the Advanced Programme in Photography at the Mar- ket Photo Workshop in Newtown, South Africa, founded by the photographer David Goldblatt in 1989. In 2009 Muholi earned her MFA in documentary media from Ryerson University in Toronto. Since her first solo exhibition, Visual Sexuality, in Johannesburg in 2004, Muholi has produced a number“I am an activist before I am an artist, and use my photography to address issues not often tackledin the mainstream media. I believe artists have a responsibility, because we live in a world wherea lot of our people are excluded from certain spaces. When a space is opened up for us, it is ourresponsibility to question and critique, as well as open up these spaces for others.”More of Zanele’s works: of photographic series that investigate the severe dis- connect in post-apartheid South Africa between theOnly Half the Picture (2004) equality promoted by the country’s 1996 ConstitutionBeulahs (2010) and the bigotry toward and violent acts targeting indi-Being (2008) viduals within the LGBTI community.Difficult Love(2009)Visual Sexuality(2012) As an ensemble, Muholi’s photographs display the depth and diversity of this community in South Afri- ca and in various countries she has visited in recent years. Her commitment to redressing the social injus- tices faced by LGBTI community members is profound, and she embraces a subjective perspective in her prac- tice by forming relationships with the individuals she depicts: the women in Only Half the Picture (2003–04), the transgendered or gay men in Beulahs (2006–10), and the couples in Being (2007). The early photographs that comprise the series Only Half the Picture feature an image of a woman binding her breasts, another of two women laughing in a sun- drenched room, and close-ups of black flesh marked by scars. By photographing her friends and acquaintances modifying their appearances, enjoying tender moments,81 Social Activism
and exposing the injuries inflicted by violence, Muholi Born: Umlazi township inoffers a glimpse into the varied experiences, rituals, joys, Durban, South Africa.and hardships of her subjects. In the individual black- Influences: “The LGBTIand-white portraits of lesbians, women, and trans men individuals I photograph.”that comprise Muholi’s ongoing Faces and Phases series High point: “Working on a(2006–) the sitters’ nuanced expressions and distinctive project that has reacheddress challenge the formulaic frontal pose of traditional 10 years. ”portraiture. While nearly all the individuals who appear Low point: “Being misun-in the series display a stony expression that boldly con- derstood.”fronts the gaze of the viewer, each face intimates some- Top tip: “Collaborate,thing different—curiosity, disenchantment, pride, frus- support each other’stration, or compassion. In constructing a visual archive projects, and give creditof individuals from the LGBTI community, Muholi also where it’s due.”bestows agency upon her subjects by providing an outletfor self-representation. Zanele Muhloli 82 Solo exhibitions of Muholi’s work have been hostedby Casa África, Las Palmas, Spain (2011); Goethe-Insti-tut, Johannesburg (2012); Fondazione Cassa di Risparmiodi Modena (2013); Ryerson Image Centre, Toronto (2014);Schwules Museum, Berlin (2014); and the WilliamsCollege Museum of Art, Williamstown, Massachusetts(2014). Photographs from Muholi’s Faces and Phasesseries were included in the São Paulo Biennial (2010),Documenta (2012), and the South African Pavilion atthe Venice Biennale (2013). Muholi lives and works inJohannesburg. Zanele Muholi, is one of South Africa ‘sforemost artists. She sees herself as a visual activist.She addresses in her work the reality of what is to belesbian and gay in South Africa where homosexuality isnot accepted and where some cultural and social beliefsauthorize the “ corrective rape” of gay women. She cap-tures her world, and gives visibility to black lesbians inher project Faces and Phases where she records the dis-tinctiveness of each individual through the traditionalgenre of black and white portraiture. There is an inherent bravery in her process as sheand her sitters, by making themselves publicly known,put their life and livelihood at risk. Indeed, just this pastApril, Muholi had 20 external hard drives stolen fromher flat in Vredehoek, Cape Town and since little elsewas taken it is fair to presume that her work.
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“I always say to people that I’m anactivist before I’m an artist. To me,you take a particular photo in orderfor other people to take action. Soyou become an agent for change ina way. I say that I am a visual activistbecause it’s important to me to gobeyond just being a photographer.” Zanele Muhloli 85
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