Editor’s Note
As an aesthete and artist myself, I often ask about the who, how and why of an artist. Whose heartbeat is their pulse mimicking? What methods have they cultivated? How do they tend to the gardens of their creativity? Why do they do what they do? Some answers show in the work, like when an art piece has the artist’s inspirations written all over it, but some take digging out and uncovering. This is the heart of Unbox. Agbowo seeks to platform African artists through publishing prose, poetry, and visual arts. Unbox, our new project, is Agbowo’s subset with an active goal of bringing us into the framework of African artists, excavating their philosophies, methodologies, influences and secrets to the end of further appreciation of their craft, humanization of their person, and inspiration for those that will follow behind them. No one’s story is the same, but artists often have things in common: submitting to inspiration, attention to muses, listening to those who have gone before, the stories asking to be told, and their hearts.
As we launch Unbox, we start with a sub-series Unbox: Emerging Voices. For this series, we unbox the work and writing life of some of the women from Agbowo’s latest Woman’s Issue with special attention to the work published with us. We unbox their craft, discussing themes, characters or messages.
It’s my honour to connect with these artists, emerging or established: and to get a sneak peak into their processes, procedures through the lens of their works, getting to know these writers outside of their stories but because of them. I think that if you’re an artist, you will resonate with some of the things they share, be inspired to ask yourself questions about your journey and relationship with your craft (trust me, artist self-awareness goes a long way), and will gain tips on how to move in this art demanding world. I think that if you’re not an artist (or think you’re not), you’ll find that excellence and growth take work, and that passion is often an important fuel for whatever we pursue.
Interviewees, thanks for unboxing. Reader, sit back and unbox with us.
Marvel Nimurungi
Interviews Editor, Agbowo
INTERVIEWS
EMERGING VOICES
