With a special focus on visual art, The Moveee recently launched its maiden print edition.
By Editor
Since the pandemic, the torrent of new names flooding the African creative scene has become astoundingly massive. The scene has been evolving rapidly, especially in the visual art industry, which is experiencing a rise in the emergence of new artists, galleries and exhibitions.
However, a common denominator for these new talents is the intense desire to speak to the realities of the modern world in which they exist. Faced with declining economic and political landscapes, and a massive shift in social and cultural norms, these creatives use their art to document their world.
Since it went live earlier this year in February as a cultural hub for documenting the works of African and Black diasporan creatives, The Moveee magazine has profiled the works of some of these creative lots. Borne of the need to fill the gap in cultural media coverage for this new stream of creatives, The Moveee has upheld her vision of curating new and notable works across all creative fields.
With a special focus on visual art, The Moveee recently launched its maiden print edition. “This issue intends to amplify the ongoing conversations around the cultural and political importance of art in contemporary society,” explains Tope Akintayo, the magazine’s editor-in-chief.
Conscious Art contains interview articles, and a portfolio of intentional artworks by artists seamlessly infusing their imaginations and present-day realities into powerful visual stories. It is a successful attempt at addressing the human mind’s everyday emotions, truths and beliefs. It combines various features and one-on-one interaction with some of the wielders of authentic African pieces from South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal.
The themes explored include mental health, identity, social structure, womanhood, and loss. Some contributing and featured artists are Matthew Eguavoen, Johnson Ocheja, Amanda Kandawire-Khoza, Mofuluso Eludire, Julius Agbaje, Ademola Ojo, Xaadim Bamba-Mbow, Obibini Kobby, and Harry Odunze, amongst others.
Undoubtedly, with every page flipped and every conversation read, the compilation of this captivating magazine leads its reader into a realm of creative paradise and a reflection on the role of creativity in the contemporary world. As stated in the editor’s note, the team wants Conscious Art to lead its audience into “a meditation about the beauty of art, and beyond that, into the realisation of the significance of art in its many forms as an instrument of change, a megaphone heralding the realities and echoing both the vices and virtues of human society.”
The Moveee is available in on-demand print through Amazon, and you can view the digital edition here.