Culture & Society
Bloodshed and Ballot Boxes ‘Gangs of Lagos’ (2023) Review
Beyond the surface themes of friendship, family ties and betrayal, Gangs of Lagos takes a closer look at thuggery and politically affiliated gang culture in Nigeria, exploring the country’s historically overlooked backstories. Read More...
‘Black is Beautiful’ Kwame Brathwaite (1938-2023)
Kwame Brathwaite, the American photographer whose works visually powered the ‘Black Is Beautiful’ movement of the 60s, has died aged 85. Throughout his career, Brathwaite captured Black icons including Muhammad Ali, Aretha Franklin, The Jackson Five, and Nina Simone. Ultimately, his works sought to uplift the essence of being Black. Read More...
Golden Lion Demas Nwoko Will Receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale
Demas Nwoko’s work has been described as ’sustainable, resource-mindful, and (as) culturally authentic forms of expression now sweeping across the African continent’. Read More...
‘I Am Currently Writing Two Books’ Abel Gaiya’s First Draft
Nigerian author and development researcher, Abel Gaiya, believes West Africa is going in circles. Read More...
This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s Afro-existentialist Experiment
This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection is the perfect afro-existentialist film, not because of the existential interstice implied in its title, but because of how it paints mystical and metaphysical pictures about the different types of death. Read More...
Interim Royals The Marginalization of Women-Regents in Present-Day Yoruba Monarchy
Yoruba culture, particularly traditional leadership, holds that men are superior to women, so they dominate governance at most levels while women are considered unfit to lead in most cases. On these grounds, for women to assume the position of regents, tradition demands they discard their identities. Read More...
Wana Udobang’s Gospel of Freedom The Liberating Power of Storytelling
‘I know now that stories are infinite and everywhere,’ Wana Udobang says. ‘Some stories are urgent, some aren’t, there are always new stories to tell. This is part of my liberation practice: that life is infinite.’ Read More...
Nigeria vs the South East The Glaring Igbophobia of the 2023 Elections
From pre-independence ethnic dog whistling, to pogroms, a civil war and the systemic socio-political ostracization that has since followed, the Igbo are the most discriminated ethnic group in Nigeria and ethnic bigotry against Igbo people has been on full display in the 2023 election. Read More...
Benin Today, Venice Tomorrow The Republic of Benin Will Debut at the 2024 Venice Biennale
The Republic of Benin announced that it will be debuting with a national pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale in Italy, which will hold from 20 April–24 November 2024. The announcement makes Benin the latest addition to the global art event which has been running since 1895. Read More...
‘I Wish I Had More Time to Write for Leisure’ Aby Sène’s First Draft
Senegalese academic and author, Aby Sène, believes pan-Africanism should not be presented in an alienating way. Read More...
