Art of This World: Ramel Jasir

Gestation exhibition Ramel Jasir began his painting career in 2006 after a friend advised him to start as a way to deal with some stressful events in his life. As a self-taught artist, he describes (click on the link to see his interview) his art as his “ever-evolving voice in color.” Taking influences from indigenous […]

What Is Afrofuturism? Part 15: Proto-Afrofuturists

Here are two articles that present previous movements and writers who influence current Afrofuturism and Black Speculative Fiction: “Afrofuturism as an Extension of the Black Arts Movement:” …Tracing Afrofuturism back to its roots, several familiar names stand out. One of those is W.E.B. Dubois, who with his 1920 short story “The Comet” may be the […]

What Is Afrofuturism? Part 14: Greg Tate

Writer, musician, and producer Greg Tate speaks at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center on Sept. 15, 2012 as part of the Contemporary Talks series. Tate reads from his manifesto Kalahari Hopscotch, or Notes Toward a 20 Volume History of Black Science and Afrofuturism followed by a Q&A session which includes him mentioning Storyboard P. Here […]

Moving on the Wires: Black Weblog Awards, Andy Allo, P.OS., Tunde Olaniran…

*Voting for semifinalists begins today for the Black Weblog Awards and ends October 1. Please vote for my blog in the Best New Blog category here! *Update: On November 20th, Andy Allo will be releasing her new album Superconductor, which was executive produced by Prince and features a few songs written by him, including the […]

What Is Afrofuturism? Part 13: Wanuri Kahui

Pumzi director, Wanuri Kahui gives a TEDxNairobi lecture about Afrofuturism from different African perspectives.

The AfroFuturist / AfroSurrealist Connection: The Visionary As Spectacle

“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.” – Frank Zappa Since my blog does cover the African diaspora through both Afrofuturist and Afrosurrealist lens, I wanted to bring Afrosurrealism more into the picture. Afrosurrealism does not have as much articles on it as Afrofuturism does, but I want to show the connections between […]

Behind the Mask: Tunde Olaniran’s Futuristic Style

Below is an interview I did with artist Tunde Olaniran about his fashion style: 1) Describe your style. What different elements make up your style? My style is meant to evoke visceral emotions as well as exuberant nostalgia. I blend very tribal shapes and influences, 90s grunge and punk, and large, changeable shapes and draping. […]

The My-Stery: Let Me Ride Part 2 — Escape and Escapism

Above is a conversation I recently listened to about escapism in Afrofuturism from Native Thinghood. The conversation stirred my thoughts about the concept of escapism. For I see escapism, or better escape, as having two sides, as with anything else in life. Yes, escapism can be a way of not dealing with the problems of […]

Art of This World: Jaszmine Asha Hawkins

Jaszmine Asha Hawkins is a New Jersey-based visual artist whose artwork is vibrantly and beautifully unusual with her “big-lipped” and “alien-looking” figures. Currently she is looking for galleries who will showcase her work. For more information about her and to contact Hawkins, visit on her facebook or twitter page.

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth: Claude McKay

Below is a 1926 poem by Jamaican-American poet Claude McKay, called “My Home.” It contains, I believe, some of the elements from both afrofuturism and afrosurrealism: