Draze was born to win. " Born to Win " is the title of his latest single, but it is also the truth of his life. Born Dumisani Maraire Jr., he is the son of two renowned master performers of the Shona culture of Zimbabwe. His father Abraham Dumisani Maraire Sr. is known for introducing mbira music to North America with numerous recordings to his credit in addition to having been a legendary teacher of the Shona music and culture at the University of Washington and Evergreen

Curated by Nana Oforiatta Ayim -- d irector of ANO Institute of Arts and Knowledge in Accra and director-at-large of Ghana’s Museums and Cultural Heritage -- Ghana's highly anticipated exhibition at the 2022 Venice Biennale entitled, Black Star – The Museum as Freedom , will feature installations by three artists: Na Chainkua Reindorf , Afroscope , and Diego Araúja . Invited to respond to the variety of meanings associated with the country’s iconic Black Star symbol, whi

Francis Kéré's inspiration for architecture began at home. Growing up in Burkina Faso, his village of Gando had no school and so he found himself leaving home at seven years old to seek out an education. He initially studied carpentry and then went on to study architecture at the Technical University of Berlin, always with the dream of returning to Gando to build a school. In 2001 his dreams were realized when Kéré designed, raised funds for, and subsequently built Gando Pri

If you have not yet seen the first season of the Netflix series Made By Design , it’s not too late. The series shines a light on thirteen architects and designers who live and work in Nigeria. The 13-part series was created and co-produced by Design Week Lagos founder Titi Ogufere and co-produced by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Abiola Matesun. Lagos has long held a prominent place in creativity among African countries including the fame of being home to the Kalakuta Republi

Attention is being given to Black visual artists more than ever before in the midst of the current social justice movement. But as many of us already know, Black artists have been using their work to portray experiences of the African diaspora, to critique colonialism, and to celebrate Black culture long before the movement started. Beginning in the late 19th century and moving into modern day, Artland takes readers on a brief journey through "some of the most powerful and m

Attention is being given to Black visual artists more than ever before in the midst of the current social justice movement. But as many of us already know, Black artists have been using their work to portray experiences of the African diaspora, to critique colonialism, and to celebrate Black culture long before the movement started. Beginning in the late 19th century and moving into modern day, Artland takes readers on a brief journey through "some of the most powerful and m