An all-access pass – in 9 questions – into the backyards of some of the best illustrators, graphic designers, game developers, writers and more across the continent. We’re calling it the Squid Alley – à la artist alley – and it is intended to offer a window into the lives of these amazing artists – Squidoes every week!
Squid Alley with Salim Busuru – Traditional African Art and Stories Excite Me
Salim Busuru is an illustrator, character designer, comic artist, animator and game designer from Kenya. He is a founding member of Avandu Vosi, a creative studio based in Nairobi that was formerly UDK or Underground Design Kings. Salim was inspired to…
Squid Alley with Tinodiwa Zambe Makoni – I Am Moved by Mastery
When Zimbabwe, animation, comics and comic conventions pop up, Tinodwia Zambe Makoni’s name is never missing. Together with Eugene Ramirez Mapondera, he has created a community for Zimbabwean creativity to flourish. Through their Comexposed platform, a Swiss army knife dabbling…
Squid Alley with Kwarte Lai – I Draw Inspiration From the Supernatural
There aren’t many artists who blend their anime, manga and superhero comic inspirations into a distinctly African art style like Daniel Tawia Quartey aka Kwarte Lai. As you’d expect, Lai is among the digital crusaders championing the comic book scene…
Squid Alley with Rado Kelini – The First Thing We Need is a Strong Community
2018 birthed 2 killer trends on social media that brought some of Africa’s finest visual creatives into the limelight all of them inspired by the Drawing While Black trend from 2017. These were We Are Nigerian Creatives and United African…
Squid Alley with Shika Odamtten – Many Styles to Create, Explore and Manipulate
Squid Alley interview with Julia Shika Odamtten, illustrator, designer, comic artist and fashion designer from Accra, Ghana.
Squid Alley with ed. – I’m Looking to Find the Devil
I first came across Emmanuel Dankyi’s (ed. for short) work during the promotion of the first Artmosphere Design Experience (dEX for short) event sometime in March of 2018. His fun, out-the-box ideas, colour choices, geometric patterns, refreshing animations, expressive photos…
Squid Alley with Louis Lubega: African Comics, Games and Animation Are a Sleeping Opportunity
Welcome to the #SquidAlley with Sonwabo Sonik Valashiya, graphic designer, illustrator and meister of colour and grit!