OCTOBER 2024 SPOTLIGHT

Tinaye Mabara

“Creatives are resigned to being a form of entertainment, and are not considered a voice of note when it comes to dealing with serious matters… people need to dig deep and take us and our work seriously…” - Tinaye Mabara 

Tinaye Mabara is a storyteller from Botswana. 

“My form of art is communication through storytelling, crafting compelling stories on resilience, green enterprising, telling positive narratives about the capabilities of Africans to solve our own problems,” she explained. 

She does this through creating video content for social media with young people in mind. She also facilitates art-based workshops on climate education for the youth. Originally from Zimbabwe, Mabara’s family migrated to Botswana when she was 11, as a result, she’s lived in Botswana for most of her life, “such that it’s become a big part of my identity.” 

A core focus of Mabara’s work is environmental issues, a passion that arose since discovering Greenpeace during her gap year before she started university. “Initially I was going to start a band and make music about protecting the earth, after which I decided I wanted to understand environmental science deeply. I always thought people would respect an artist with a scientific qualification more and listen [to what they had to say].”

“When I was majoring in environmental science I realized that everything I was learning put me in somewhat of a gated community. I felt that information about environmental well-being needed to be packaged in more creative ways, liberated and shared outside of the traditional platforms in ways that are relatable and palatable to reach the people.”

For the Emerging Creatives Programme Mabara has pulled together a video looking at artists who make a living in the sustainability economy. “As far as I can remember, even during my undergraduate years, I have always been told that art and science cannot mix,” she said, “that you cannot be a creative as well as a scientist. Due to being part of the global community, thanks to social media, I know now that not only is it possible, but it’s also widely celebrated to use creative and critical skills to create ideas in effecting change. The piece I have created spotlights the colorful rebellion of sustainability-creatives within Botswana, who are yearning for sustainability, as well as building more cohesive communities for shared prosperity in the country.”

Even though civic space in Botswana is obstructed, Mabara shares that she is, fortunately, able to express herself freely. However, she believes that the creative industry needs more support and buy-in from stakeholders, government, and key players within the civic space itself, especially as creation can be a strong support for advocacy. “In my experience, creatives are not taken seriously in Botswana, even when they have the required formal education within their field or parallel to it. Creatives are resigned to being a form of entertainment and are not considered a voice of note when it comes to dealing with serious matters. So, while their expressions are not heavily censored, said expressions are also not considered integral to addressing social ills.” 

Mabara continued: “People need to dig deep and take us, and our work, seriously. This looks like giving us a seat at the table, showing up when we have events, interacting with our work online because engagement goes a long way, and paying for our work. The end game would be the ability to create something that resonates and connects people, but also being able to take care of ourselves.” 

Follow Tinaye on Instagram @ecogirlafrica 

SEPTEMBER 2024 SPOTLIGHT

Thiha

“Exile is not a choice, it is a chance but also a pain and a challenge.”
- Thiha

Thiha, a self-taught artist from Myanmar living as a refugee in France, puts his feelings into his creations. He mainly conveys this emotional, artistic ability through painting and cartoons. 

“It took me a long time to call myself an artist. For as long as I can remember I always created with whatever I had, but it wasn’t seen positively by the people around me. I became confident enough to call myself an artist when I had the opportunity to create in some public spaces and started to get good feedback,” he told us. “For my family, creating couldn’t be a job... I am from a poor family, and art for them is something non-essential, what matters is what brings food and shelter.” 

Thiha left school in grade 5 to find work and help feed his family; as such there was no time for creating and drawing. “I still dreamed about art and which drawing or painting I could do. My childhood wasn’t happy but by working I got the opportunity to free myself from traditional family pressure. After I gave my share of the money, I could buy paper, pen, and sometimes colors with the money left,” he said. 

For Thiha the internet was an invaluable resource that allowed him to educate himself and improve his English as there was little content online in his home language. “Now when I look back, I have no regrets about my education; I would not be the person I am if I had followed formal education.”

Civic space in Myanmar is closed, with civic society organizations raising concerns about the torture and killing of political prisoners and the harassment of journalists and activists. Thiha shares that before the coup in Myanmar in 2021, which deepened repression, his art wasn’t particularly political, however, this changed.

“I was questioning some rules of Myanmar society. I didn’t care about the bad remarks from the people, I hoped one day they would understand it. With the coup and repression of the revolution, my art changed but so did the place of art in Myanmar’s society. It became a way to express and show the world the voice of the many that cannot speak out.” 

He added: “When I was still in Myanmar, with the repression, I had to stop political art and hide my last one in a safe place. I hope one day I can show it. I started making donations to support activists, even though this was dangerous, some were put in jail for donations supporting the people in the revolution. I wanted to stay, but people close to me got arrested, so I had to leave the country.” 

“Since then, I look for a way to speak out, in paint and press cartoons. Press cartoons allow me to show a clearer message than painting. It is faster to create, yet so much more difficult for me to make! It is not just about the feeling I put in the creation, but about how to get people to understand the message in a more light and simple style than paint. It pushes me to develop my critical thinking.”

For the Emerging Creatives Program Thiha created a piece that looks at the experiences of refugees and exiles. 

“It is based on situations I experience, but I think they will speak to many other refugees. We are in between two worlds; we lost our own, but we do not yet belong to the one we are in now. Our existence and activities are limited to our status and administrative process, yet we are the lucky ones compared to so many others who face danger every day at home. Exile is not a choice, it is a chance but also a pain and a challenge. When I was in Myanmar, I saw my people struggle and grow up in a place mainly closed off to the rest of the world. I was forced out, but it also opened my mind to the rest of the world. I hope this cartoon speaks to many, not just from Myanmar.”

Follow Thiha on Instagram

AUGUST 2024 SPOTLIGHT

Jean Baptist

“I use my art to change the world, make people understand, and teach others to make our world better.” — Jean Baptist Mugunga 

Jean Baptist Mugunga is a visual artist from Rwanda working with watercolor painting, pencil, and pen. The 22-year-old has had a creative inclination since he was young: “I started by being a craftsman, and my friends and I used to make different things that we used to play with because our parents had no money to buy us toys, so we also looked for solutions.”

In secondary school Mugunga heard about the Ivuka Art Center that taught young people how to draw.

“The center had a program called Intango Art Kids. At the time it was difficult to find equipment, our parents didn’t have money so [the center] had to buy it for us. The owner had a heart of love and he did it so that we could achieve our dreams,” the artist told us. 

Mugunga attended the program every Saturday and, over the years, continued to sharpen his knowledge.

For Mugunga, art is a way to make the world a better place. He explained: “I use my art to change the world, make people understand, and teach others to make our world better.” 

However, while art is a powerful tool for change, being creative is not without its challenges and Mugunga said it is often costly to buy materials, in addition to it being difficult to source the materials in the first place. He also explained that “there is a large number of people who are an obstacle because they do not support artists in what they do and they do not know or understand the value of what we do.” 

When it comes to civic space, Rwanda’s is repressed, but fortunately, he said: “I am able to work freely and without problems because (in Rwanda) you are safe and secure in what you do, because Rwanda follows the law and you can give opinions.” The multi-talented artist adds that the Rwandan government can better support artists like him by “raising awareness about and increasing education related to art. It can also help artists get cheaper tools and continue to promote the country as it does because that's when we see many tourists and we can tell tourists about art.”

For his Emerging Creatives Program piece, Mugunga focused on education.

“In Rwanda, Africa, and the whole world there is a problem of children being denied the right to study and finding themselves employed in low-paying jobs. They (also) miss the opportunity to go to school because there is a large number of people who do not know that reading and writing are important,” explained the artist. 

Mugunga’s piece, titled: ‘The first basic education’, is watercolor on paper and mixed media. “Children need to go to school to learn writing and reading, and parents must take time to talk to their children and teach them,” he said. “Education is the key to unlocking the golden door of freedom. Education is the movement from darkness to light. Never stop learning because life never stops teaching, and this artwork shows that education is important.”

Follow Jean Baptist Mugunga on Instagram 

JULY 2024 SPOTLIGHT

Areesha Khuwaja (Pakkhee)

“My practice allows me to engage in a conversation with both my ancestors and future generations.” — Pakkhee

Areesha Khuwaja, who goes by the name Pakkhee (which means bird in Sindhi), and describes herself as a passionate storyteller who uses art to weave cultural narratives and address social and environmental issues, is an artist and cultural practitioner from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. 

For the Emerging Creatives Program Pakkhee created multimedia illustrations which anthropomorphize the Karoonjhar mountains in Nagar Parker, Sindh. “Each stone in this multimedia artwork appears naturally carved to resemble a face,” she explained. “These faces, staring back as they are torn away, symbolize the innocence and beauty of the region being destroyed by granite mining. For the locals, this destruction feels like their mother’s milk is being taken away as they watch helplessly.” 

She continued: “This piece calls for the halting of granite mining in these mountains, highlighting the environmental and cultural loss caused by such activities.” In addition to environmental challenges, such as being one of the top 10 most climate vulnerable countries in the world, as evidenced by the devastating flooding of 2022, Pakistan has a repressed civic space.

Pakkhee explained that the country’s environment can be challenging for activists, adding that “speaking out about religious and ethnic inequalities and gender issues can be risky, and there is often pushback from the establishment and religious extremists who benefit from a discord in the society. However, I have found ways to navigate these challenges by using symbolism and metaphors in my art to convey messages through my body of work subtly, yet powerfully.” 

The artist went on: “While there are limitations on free expression, I strive to use my platform to its fullest potential, pushing boundaries and advocating for change within the constraints I face. I often take inspiration from Sindh’s spirit of creative resistance to keep me motivated.”

“Witnessing the socio-political challenges in my region,” she continued, “such as the erasure of certain religions, the stereotyping of certain cultures, and the internal colonization in Pakistan that undermines and commodifies indigenous cultures, I felt a strong need to use my creativity to interpret and visualize stories from my culture.” 

JUNE 2024 SPOTLIGHT

Aynura Erejepbaeva

“We can use our creative work to speak up about things that matter to us.”

Aynura Erejepbaeva uses traditional Karakalpak embroidery to communicate the messages that she wants the world to see related to causes she deeply cares about. The young Uzbekistanian is an environmental, cultural, and gender equality activist from a small village in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region within the country. 

She spent several years assisting her community as a spokesperson against the effects of climate change and its contributions to the Aral Sea crisis. The 18-year-old is also a strong proponent for women's education and empowerment, and serves as a voice for the protection of Karakalpak culture in the face of globalisation. 

Civic space in Uzbekistan is considered closed. In 2022, protests against the government’s proposed plans to remove Karakalpak’s autonomous status turned violent. 

“As a post-Soviet country like Uzbekistan, it’s challenging to talk about the issues women face, as I’m often referred to as ‘too liberal, too feminist, too western’. That’s not a true reflection of me,” said the young artist. 

For her spotlight as a Global Citizen emerging creative, Erejepbaeva created an embroidery piece which she said "represents the resilience of a Karakalpak woman — a mother, sister, and daughter, who are diligent and hard-working.” 

She added: “The patterns surrounding the picture not only symbolise luck and growth but also reflect the fragile beauty of the Aral Sea, mirroring the delicate balance of hope and hardship faced by the Karakalpak community.”