Bubblegum Club

Tag: Jabu Nadia Newman

  • Ses’fikile – siwu mndeni // celebrating queer spaces and queer artists

    Ses’fikile – siwu mndeni // celebrating queer spaces and queer artists

    Zer021 is an inclusive queer club in Cape Town, and will be the host of Ses’fikile – siwu mndeni on the 20th of July. Translating to ‘we’re here; we’re family’ in English, the name of the event speaks to the importance of queer people celebrating the presence of spaces such as Zer021 as well as the queer artists who continue to push their creative practices.

    Siwu Mndeni is the name of the ongoing collaboration between filmmakers and art practitioners Jabu Nadia Newman and Luvuyo Equiano Nyawose. Ses’fikile is the first project in their collaboration. “The whole inspiration for this project was to acknowledge or pay homage to poc queer club spaces that inspire creatives, drive culture and act as a sanctity for individuals who are discovering themselves,” Jabu and Luvuyo explain.explains.

    Zer021 will be transformed into a gallery space, disrupting ideas around where art can be viewed and who can have access to these spaces. Ses’fikile includes the premiere of the short film/music video produced and directed by Jabu and Luvuyo for FAKA’s latest single ‘Queenie’, produced by Angel-Ho. It will also include powerful photographs taken on set by Daniel Walton. To bring the event full circle, live performances by well-established and relatively new artists and djs will transform the dance floor into an exchange of energetic vibrations through gqom, hip hop, kwaito, house, and experimental sounds.  “The lineup consists of artists, acts and DJs who unapologetically carve out their own path and continue to inspire and give back to the community. The lineup consists solely of poc queer artists and incredible performers who are touring Europe and playing in different countries all over the world, yet are hardly get booked in their own country,” Jabu and Luvuyo explain. The performance lineup includes FAKA, Angel-Ho, Queezy, and a DJ lineup with K$, Nodiggity, Parasite Hilton and Sensitive Black Dyke.

    “Our event will not tolerate any racism, homophobia, transphobia, bullying, queerphobia, sexism, fatphobia, taking up space and in general no discrimination. It aims to be an inclusive space primarily for members of the LGBTQI+ and non binary individuals.”

    Find out more here.

  • New Zealand based jewellery brand 27Mollys release their second collection – Love and Basketball

    New Zealand based jewellery brand 27Mollys release their second collection – Love and Basketball

    The New Zealand based jewellery brand 27Mollys has released their second collection titled, Love and Basketball. The collection consists of handmade pieces in silver featuring a mix of pendants, chains, rings and earrings. As all pieces in the collection are handmade, no two pieces are identical. The unisex collection takes its inspiration from 90s basketball culture, bling-bling and flowers.

    The designer and founder of 27Mollys, Brent Paye teamed up with Capetonian photographer Jabu Nadia Newman to photograph the new jewellery collection. Her approach to photographing the collection was rooted in a desire to have fun with the project combined with definitive aesthetic choices. These ranged from photographing in direct sunlight, using contrasting colours as well as favouring a rich saturated feel. In order to elevate the aforementioned qualities, Jabu photographed the collection on 35mm film.

    Christina Fortune has the 90s kid look down to a T in this selection of images and was a natural choice of model for Jabu who regards her as a muse. “I love shooting my friends and shooting with the same model over a period of time because I’m so inspired by their personality and look.”

    Makeup artist Naledi Mariri was influenced to do a very clean look for the shoot to highlight Christina’s perfect skin and stunning freckles. Her choice was then to add a fun quirk for the eyes resulting in a magnetic look that draws the viewer in.

    The collection was photographed at petrol stations in Observatory, Woodstock and Rondebosch complementing the concept for the collection as well as the look and feel of the shoot. Styling for the shoot helped bring the shoot and collection full circle, taking on hip-hop elements and basketball influence with a soft colourful side.

    To get in on the bling-bling and basketball inspired collection, shop 27Mollys here.

    Credits:

    Photography: Jabu Nadia Newman
    Jewelry Design & Styling: Brent Paye / 27Mollys
    Model: Christina Fortune rep. Fantastic Agency
    Makeup: Naledi Mariri

  • The Foxy Five – Women forging intersectional footholds

    Staccato stabs erupt between creviced creases of the mountainous form. Backlit by blue skies, institutional columns stem forth. Symmetrical colonial stone is foregrounded by five womxn. The iconic campus of tertiary education was the site of recent student protests – a rupturing ripple that will resist all forms of erasure. The figures stand armed, in formation. Assault rifles extend from arms held high. Donned in a uniform of 70’s chic – highwaisted trousers and cropped shirts. These are The Foxy Five. A living legacy.

    Jabu Nadia Newman is redefining the terrain of identity politics in the South African context. As born-free filmmaker and founder of the The Foxy Five she has created a web series that fictions the narrative of five womxn who stand at a metaphorical crossroad – the ideological intersection between race, gender, class, sexuality and other axes of power and oppression.

    She says, “I’m interested in showing a new view of what it means to be an African, while being open to the fact that I’m still figuring it out for myself” In this way, the discourse around identity politics is emanating internally – dismantling prescriptive external boundaries.

    In depicting the lived experiences of five womxn – expressed visually through Womxn We, Blaq Beauty, Unity Bond, Femme Fatal and Prolly Plebs – Newman reclaims the space of representation – a crucial element in redefining and exploring nuanced conceptions of identity. Shifted modes of power are used in this Post-Colonial context to reimagine an alternative to a white-washed historical narrative.

    Using the rhetoric of intersectionality and “Africa for Africans” The Foxy Five march on. A powerful stance is struck; their gaze meets you head on. An assurance in position is executed with military precision. You are left only to stare down a barrel of a gun.

    “This time we’re gonna make sure we’re the ones running the shots”

    Watch episode 1 of The Foxy Five below.

    1 J.Hunkin. (2016) Janu Nadia Newman: Intersectionality with a side of pop culture. Between 10&5 http://10and5.com/2016/06/16/jabu-nadia-newman-intersectionality-with-a-side-of-pop-culture/