TCN Monthly Recap: April 2024 Edition
Here's a recap of the stories—news, events, opportunities, resources, insights, opinions and conversations—we published this April and some other recommended stories for you
Hi there, I hope you’ve had a great month!
Yes! The second quarter of the year is off to an interesting start. I hope you are putting in the work to make sure your goals become realities. This is my reminder to you to put in the work needed to achieve your goals. Also, don’t be far away from the drawing board. If you need to step back to re-strategise, don’t hesitate to. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
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It’s that time of the month when we bring you TCN Monthly Recap; a recap of all the exciting stories—news, events, opportunities, resources, insights, opinions and conversations—we published all through the month. Also, watch out for more interesting reads and recommended stories to catch up on everything juicy in the African creative industry across art, design, and film.
In this edition of TCN Monthly Recap, you will find:
Our conversation with Bolutife Awakan, the brand and design lead at Traction Apps, on finding design, constantly learning and investing in herself, and the role of strategy in design;
The winner of the Dia Art Foundation’s inaugural Sam Gilliam Award;
Google Fonts’ addition of Tac One—a single-weight, bold Sans Serif typeface, designed by a Nigerian design trio—to its catalogue;
Our conversation with Chisaokwu Joboson on working with Google Fonts on the Ojuju typeface, and the public reaction to its launch;
The winner of the 2024 Henrike Grohs Art Award;
The list of 50 influential African women Architect by Africans Column;
Why Osun State faced public backlash for a new logo it announced;
Meet the winners of the 2024 Henrike Grohs Art Award; and a lot more.
A Conversation with Bolutife Awakan
In this conversation with Bolutife Awakan, a senior brand designer & strategist who currently leads the brand and design team at Traction Apps, she shared how she found design, the role of strategy in design, and how constantly learning and investing in herself has helped her through her career so far.
In this interview, you will also learn what keeps her going, the challenges she faces as a designer and how she navigates them, her favourite projects, the people who inspire her, and a lot more.
Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama wins Dia Art Foundation's inaugural Sam Gilliam Award
Last month, Dia Art Foundation announced Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama as the recipient of the inaugural Sam Gilliam Award, an art award, in honour of Sam Gilliam, an American abstract painter, sculptor, and arts educator. The Award comes with a $75,000 prize and the presentation of a public program at a Dia location in fall 2024.
“He was selected in response to his continuous growth as an artist, in terms of the complexity, scale, and responsiveness to site in his multifaceted material practice, as well the meaningful impact of his ambitious work as a community-oriented practitioner,” the announcement stated.
Google Fonts adds Tac One—a typeface created by Nigerian design trio—to its catalogue
At the beginning of the month, Google Fonts announced the addition of Tac One, a single-weight, bold Sans Serif typeface, designed by Nigerian design trio—Seyi Olusanya, Eyiyemi Adegbite and David Udoh—to its robust catalogue of open-source fonts.
“Tac supports over 500 African languages and over 900 languages, globally,” Afrotype noted.
A Conversation with Chisaokwu Joboson, the Nigerian-based brand and type designer who designed the Ojuju typeface
Last month, we reported the addition of Ojuju, a san-serif typeface of an afro-grotesque style—created by Chisaokwu Joboson, a Nigerian-based brand and type designer—to Google Fonts’ catalogue.
Following the announcement, The Creatives Note caught up with Joboson to discuss the inspiration behind the Ojuju typeface, and how the project with Google Fonts came about.
Check out the full conversation with Joboson to learn more about the typeface, the public reaction to its launch, and his mission to create more type support for African languages.
Goethe-Institut announces the winner of the 2024 Henrike Grohs Art Award
Last November, we reported the 21 shortlisted artists for the 2024 edition of the Henrike Grohs Art Award. This month, Goethe-Institut announced the winner of the 2024 Award.
Selected from a pool of 690 applications from 40 countries across the African continent, the winner will receive a 20 000€ cash prize and 10 000€ towards a publication of her work, according to the announcement.
Read the story to find out the winner and the two runners-up of this edition of the Henrike Grohs Art Award.
Africans column unveils list of 50 influential African women Architect
To mark the last day of Women's Month, Africans Column, a platform dedicated to celebrating the remarkable achievements of Africans in Art, Architecture, and Design, unveiled a list of 50 Influential African Women Architects whose innovative work spans continents, cultures, and contexts.
The list includes women from across a multitude of nations, cultures, and specialities. “From Algeria to Tanzania, these architects hail from diverse backgrounds, bringing with them a wealth of experiences and perspectives that enrich the architectural landscape of Africa and beyond,” the announcement noted.
Osun State faces public backlash for new logo; what is the outrage about?
During this month, the Osun State Government riled up Nigerians, especially designers, when it announced a new logo for the state.
“THIS IS THE WORST LOGO EVER! No ifs, buts, maybes…,” says one comment.
Another reads, “This isn't a logo... This is a full-on assault on my eyes, a war crime against visual harmony, a grotesque cacophony of poorly conceived elements.”
What does the logo look like and why did it get such reactions? Read our editor’s honest assessment of the logo.
These opportunities are closing soon
The open call for the 2025 Young Contemporaries residency program closes today (April 30th, 2024).
The call for artists for the 2024 edition of Chale Wote Street Art Festival closes tomorrow (May 1st, 2024).
Application for the inaugural cycle of The Mensah-Bonsu Foundation Student Bursary closes today (April 30th, 2024).
More from The Creatives Note in April
Osun State Governor ‘orders’ logo design competition following the public bashing of the new logo he assented to
EXCLUSIVE: Bransolute's brand refresh for AjoCard conveys its vision to deliver financial services to the excluded
EXCLUSIVE: Vome Studio's identity revamp for Bentsi-Enchill modernises its visual identity without compromising its esteemed 20-year legacy
Recommended reading
In a country where art doesn’t get enough recognition as the economic driver it can be, gallery owners like Marcus Gora continue to cultivate creative spaces against all odds.
LongJi Domnan, a visual artist and writer is a Nigerian student creative currently pursuing two degrees from two different higher institutions. “I am driven by the fact that I know that I am capable of so much more and if I don’t continue the journey I won’t know how far I can get. I want to see how far I can go and how much I can achieve,” she said.
Three Sudanese artists share their experiences and obstacles working and building creative communities in Cairo.
With 5300+ Nigerian album covers—that date back to the 1950s —in its archive, Album Cover Bank wants to establish the history and evolution of Nigerian graphic design in Nigerian music
That will be all for this month. Thank you for reading.
We wish you a HAPPY NEW MONTH in advance. Have a wonderful May!
We enjoyed bringing you these updates and putting this recap together. See you this time next month. Until then, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay up to date.
