Evan Jerry’s Works Celebrate the Present and Future of African Design

Evan Jerry, the founder of Studio Anansi named after a word that pays homage to a prominent figure of West African and Caribbean folklore has always been drawn to the cultures’ rich oral tradition of storytelling. Recently, he debuted nine interior design sculptures that celebrate Black culture and craft at Love House in Brooklyn. The Canadian designer has always explored the African diaspora in his work. “My work is a reference of navigating the world through the lens of blackness. It’s about celebration and preservation of Black culture.” The nine decorative and functional objects on display in Brooklyn include a limited-edition bowl, platter, and stool. “I intend for this collection to be a process—the beginning of a process of exploring more contemporary identification of Black culture through design.” It took Jerry over a year of visiting museums that have African art objects to […]

afrobeatingx September 22, 2020

Arts

The Nigerian-British Writer Putting Black Joy on Stage and Screen

Theresa Ikoko joins a wave of young Black writers, producers and directors carving out space in an industry that has been prone to either exclude them or crush them with expectations demanding that their work cover only issues of race. On Friday, her first movie, “Rocks,” which she wrote with Claire Wilson, opened in Britain. It centers on the joy and resilience of young women of color a group rarely given mainstream attention in British film and positions Ms. Ikoko as a major new voice. “There’s so much more that comes with being Black apart from dealing with racism. And that has meant creating work that also focuses on Black joy" she said. From left, the actors Yasmin Mwanza, Yvette Boakye and Heather Agyepong in the 2017 touring production of Ms. Ikoko’s “Girls” Growing up, she never knew any writers, or […]

afrobeatingx September 21, 2020

News

Kaduna State, Nigeria Plans to Castrate Convicted Child Rapists

The governor of Nigeria’s Kaduna state has signed a law saying men convicted of rape will face surgical castration, and anyone raping a child under age 14 will face the death penalty. The move follows public outrage over a wave of rapes, which prompted the nation's state governors to declare a state of emergency. Many Nigerians clamoring for action in the face of a countrywide rape crisis have greeted the new law enthusiastically.They predict it will lead to fewer rapes being reported. The minister for women’s affairs said that two million women and girls were raped in the country each year. Then in June she said that the number of rapes had spiked to three times the typical rate, because women and girls were locked down with their abusers during the coronavirus pandemic. Kaduna’s governor, Nasir el-Rufai, said the new measures were […]

afrobeatingx September 21, 2020

News

Two African Women Running For World Trade Organization President

While no Africans and no women have ever been at the helm of the global trade body. Two African women are among the five candidates still in the running to take the World Trade Organization top job. The WTO has been leaderless since Roberto Azevedo stepped down as WTO chief last month, a year ahead of schedule. On Friday the pool of eight candidates was whittled down to five. It includes women Amina Mohamed of Kenya, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria, and Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea. Male candidates still in the running are Liam Fox of Britain and Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri of Saudi Arabia. Ambassador Amina Mohamed is a committed international civil servant who hashad a distinguished career in both public and foreign service. She has served instrategic government positions and been elected to key international positions.Her work experience in over […]

afrobeatingx September 20, 2020

News

Disney partners with Nollywood to bring American Movies To West Africa

Disney is joining forces with a Nigerian production and distribution company to market some of the American entertainment conglomerate's new releases such as "Mulan" in English-speaking West Africa. The deal makes FilmOne Entertainment the sole distributors of Disney-owned films in Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia. "It is a major career highlight, that we're able to get the world's biggest movie studio as a partner," Moses Babatope, a director at FilmOne, said in an interview. The agreement, which commenced this month, covers titles from all Disney studio divisions including Pixar, Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, and Blue Sky pictures. "With their in-depth knowledge of the region and expertise in bringing theatrical releases to fans, we are thrilled to welcome FilmOne as our distribution partner for this territory," Disney Africa's country manager, Christine Service said in a statement. Nollywood Block Busters FilmOne Entertainment […]

afrobeatingx September 19, 2020

Arts

The Rise of African Film: 5 African Producers Making Waves

The African film industry is indisputably diversifying its economy by creating jobs in the continent. Contemporary African Films are known to deal with a wide variety of themes relating to modern issues and universal problems while providing premium entertainment. Here is a list of some of the producers behind the great films. Wanuri Kahiu (Kenya) Wanuri Kahiu is a Kenyan film director, producer, and author. She has received several awards and nominations, including awards for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009 for her dramatic feature film, From a Whisper. What sets Wanuri apart in the industry is her bravery in tackling topics like homosexuality, which are often controversial. Her 2018 film, Rafiki, tells the story of two Kenyan girls who fall in love and struggle to navigate their feelings in a […]

afrobeatingx September 18, 2020

Arts

Amazing works of Art by Ludwig Deutsch

An Australian painter, Ludwig Deutsch who showcased the beauty of the rich Egyptian culture through his oriental paints in the 1800s and 1900s. His excellent works of art are considered to be the most sought after by art collectors. Ludwig Deutsch was an Austrian painter who was born in Vienna (Austria) around 1855. Deutsch came from a well-established Jewish family. His father was a financier at the Austrian court. He studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts 1872-1875, and in 1878, Deutsch moved to Paris where he became strongly associated with Orientalism. Ludwig Deutsch, The Palace Guard He received his early art training at Academy of Fine Arts Vienna under the tutelage of Anselm Feuerbach (1875–1877). When Feuerbach retired as a teacher, In 1878 Deutsch was finally accepted to enter the class of Leopold Carl Müller. At around this time, he may […]

afrobeatingx September 18, 2020

News

Ex-IAAF head Lamine Diack gets two years in prison for corruption

Former track federation president Lamine Diack was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison for corruption during his nearly 16-year tenure at the IAAF, most notably a scheme that allowed Russian athletes who paid millions in hush money to keep competing when they should have been suspended for doping. The guilty verdict in a Paris court represented a spectacular fall from grace for the 87-year-old Diack, who was the powerful head of the IAAF from 1999-2015 and mixed with world leaders and was influential in the world of Olympic sports. The court also sentenced Diack to another two years of suspended jail time and fined him €500,000 ($590,000). Diack was found guilty of multiple corruption charges and of breach of trust but acquitted of a money laundering charge. One of Diack’s lawyers, Simon Ndiaye, called the verdict “unjust and inhuman” […]

afrobeatingx September 17, 2020

Celebrity

Nigeria’s John Boyega Responds to Racist Jo Malone & Quits Role After Being Cut From Chinese Advert

John Boyega, Nigerian-born British actor has officially ended his ambassadorial deal with London cosmetics brand, Jo Malone, after being cut out of an advert he conceived, directed and starred in for the Chinese market. Reports have it that Boyega was replaced by Liu Haoran after the commercial was recast and reshot for the Chinese market. The original advert, London Gent, which was released last year featured Boyega walking around Peckham, south London, riding a horse, dancing with friends and hanging out with his family. The original cast was multicultural, while the Chinese remake featured no black cast members. Reacting to the development which many have described as systemic racism, John Boyega disclosed that it was done without his consent. He added that it will be dealt with swiftly as he “doesn’t have time for nonsense.” The actor tweeted; I have […]

afrobeatingx September 16, 2020

Trending

Chinese man crowned as chief in Ghana

The appointment of Sun Qiang, a Chinese businessman, to the position of Development Chief (Nkosuohene) in the small southern Ghanaian town of Kwahu-Abetifi has prompted widespread outrage. Sun was awarded the honor after he donated $5,000 to build a new school in Abetifi. By virtue of his enstoolment has been given the name Barima Kofi Ayeboafo. Although it’s not uncommon for foreigners to be named Nkosuohene, there’s clearly a sense of unease about a Chinese national receiving the honor. Sun Qiang dressed in native attire seated beside a Ghanaian chief According to the Ghanaian traditions, the title Nkosuohene is often given to non-royals, who could be politicians or tourists engaged in development. Following this move, questions have been raised on whether the Kwahu-Abetifi residents gave their approval as some reports reveal that they are not intrigued by the development. Sun Qiang […]

afrobeatingx September 16, 2020

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