Having found myself stumbling upon more amazing blogs from local and African curators I decided to do another chapter in Tumblr blogs to follow piece. There is so much content being made online so it’s understandable that one may feel overwhelmed by internationally made and curated content.
Yet, online readers are now no longer just consumers. They want their content to directly reflect who they are and who they want to be. With ease of access through Internet comes a consumer who is more demanding and will no longer settle for ‘kinda’ good enough content.
South Africans and Africans are no strangers to these trends. If they can’t find it they will make it. They are the conscious curators in our consumption. Interest should also be given to the spaces where they are able to control what they post as well as what they are able to see.
Tumblr gives one this direct control and allows for constant inflow and of content and distribution with ease. Such spaces represent the move of black people towards controlling what they want to see in the media.
With this push for more local we must also not shy away from the local blogs that feature Western made content and international brands. As African creators we are being influenced by a variety of sources. We cannot ignore the influence of the west both historically, socially and economically. To ignore their influence means the denial of the historical injustice and their continuation. This action causes the distortion of an African identity that is decontextualized into an exotified empty husk that functions only for Western consumption.
The inclusion of such Western made images and brands is an understanding of the complex nature of (South) African identity. (See the Tony Gum link as an example of this process) South African bloggers are doing this as both a political act of empowerment but also as a craving for a certain aesthetic that looks like “themselves”.
This list reflects such an understanding of how the blog medium can be used to represent and feed a constantly changing identity that does not run away from itself. This short list will function as a “starter pack” to understanding the complexity and magic that is black creative culture that can be found in their blogs.
Illustration by Thandiwe Tshabalala
Based in Cape Town, this talented designer and illustrator showcases her striking illustrative work with catching colours and loud texts. She includes her commissioned work and so much of what she posts resonates with urban city living. She features beautifully drawn portraits and some selfies of herself hard at work. This is a good site to follow featuring not only the artists own creations but get a glimpse into her ideas that fuel her as she also provides brief explanations on her submissions and writes her own short posts.
A fast rising star in the creative scene, Ms Gum is part of the local movement creating online content directed towards the South African youth. Her site features her own works that have come to characterize her style of her body (co-)operating with props quintessential to the popular culture icons of our time, such as the sneaker or coke bottle. The site also gives links to her previous projects and collaborations which are also worth taking a look at as she can be best described as “a new prism through which to view African contemporary art”.
This site gives us a look into the world as seen from architect and self-described ‘space curator’ Balmoi Abe. Stationed in Nairobi Kenya, he uses the site to show the beautiful scenery that he interacts with. This results in ‘everyday’ shots that should not be mistaken as just another Instagram shot. His design training comes through strongly in his photographs, with strong lines and geometric shapes, we see his architectural sensibilities coming through in his photographs. This site is definitely for the lovers of design who want to get to acquaint themselves intimately with African architectural spaces.
This beautifully themed blog is a must to follow if you want to see your news feed filled with melanin soaked bodies draped in some seriously current fashion trends. Lulama Mlambo is the creative behind this blog and also features pots of her modelling outfits and looking fly as hell. This one is definitely for those seeking style inspiration as the outfits she wears are accessible and stunning!
I constantly make the big mistake of leaving out the brothers in my personal quest for local black fashion content. This site, as the name suggests, features beautiful boys ‘dressed to the T’ in swag. Featuring various men’s fashion and portraits. This is a good site to view content made from the male perspective but not one that is necessarily masculine. This site is particularly useful for those wanting to get better in touch with male fashion with its style being mostly street.
My final choice comes from a magical being of many talents who is Cape Town based. Both an artist, performer and singer Umlilo is a persona who is making content that is pushing gender, visual and dance boundaries through the sounds of dark ‘angsty’ youth and visual opulence. The blog features images from previous performances as well as links to his music and various projects. This is a site for those looking to understand the Avant-guard performance arts but through a more accessible format of pop, dance, electronic and R n B.