April 01, 2024
Tell us about artivism and your book, ‘The Artivist’.
Artivism is a combination of two words, ‘art’ and ‘activism’. Artivism is creating art that inspires people to make a positive change in the world. I have been creating such art for 10 years and want to inspire people to make a difference. I have been working on my ‘Sunday Sketch Series’ where I have been making one piece of art every Sunday for the past 10 years. The art I create reflects what I see around me. I’ve used a lot of those art pieces to form ‘The Artivist’. The book is about a boy who is an artist and activist. He observes the issues faced by the world, such as pollution, war, racism and social injustice, and is motivated to bring about a change in his community. After his mural goes viral, he realises the power of art and decides to address the world’s problems by creating art about everything. He aims to heal the world through art. The boy in the book follows my artivist journey. ‘The Artivist’ is for people of all ages, from three to 103!
How do you think children can make a positive impact through art?
Learning digital art is a great way for children to become professional artists. You can make art about simply anything! Sometimes, you can very specifically look at what is happening in the world. Observing current events helps you identify the broken bones in the world; the things that need to be fixed. Children can make art about that and display it for the world to see. It will inspire people to make a difference. Any type of art can gain recognition globally in the age of social media. You can create art that changes the world at any age.
What, according to you, is your masterpiece?
‘The Artivist’ and also ‘The 1619 Project: Born on the Water’, a children’s picture book, are special to me. ‘The 1619 Project: Born on the Water’ was one of my first major projects and became an instant number-one New York Times bestseller. It was also one of the most challenging books as it describes slavery and the history of enslaved Africans in America. The book is about an African- American girl who learns about her ancestors and their resistance to bondage. I had to illustrate the culture of West Africans and portray the rich kingdom of Ndongo before slavery. The book conveys a powerful message about resilience and the fight for justice and I had to bring it to life.
How were you inspired to pursue a career in art?
I have loved drawing and art since childhood. I pursued a master of architecture degree from Hampton University in Virginia, USA, and I worked with Walt Disney Imagineering, where I designed theme parks for 11 years. While I was in the field of architecture, I used to go home and make art all the time. I learnt digital painting. I also started my ‘Sunday Sketch Series’, which started getting a lot of recognition. My art opened many doors of opportunity, including working as a film illustrator for several films like ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’. That’s when I realised that art is my passion and began focussing on it solely. In 2019, I left Walt Disney Imagineering to become a full-time author, illustrator and freelance artist and continued pursuing artivism.
What is your message to our readers?
Create art that speaks to the biggest things we need to fix in the world. As a young artist, you can conduct research on your favourite artists or the best artists of all time and study their creative processes. But it is also important for you to find your unique voice and style. Keep creating art and keep pursuing artivism!
ACTIVITY: Art for Activism
Create a poem or painting inspired by a current issue that needs to be addressed.
