I have painted my opinion of the greatness and glory of Mama Africa. I have endeavoured to include all regions of Africa, their cultures and their traditions, their customs and their natural resources. I carefully chose my colours to reflect the warmth of the African sun and I adorned my piece with some African symbols that show the endurance and greatness of Africa. I also use symbols from some languages in West Africa that existed long before the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans and colonisation. 

The African savanna and her giants like the lion, elephant, giraffes and ostrich are also represented. Egypt has an established place in world civilisation, philosophy, culture and architecture. I did not forget the sphinx, the pyramids of Giza and I simulated Ramesses the Great. I used acrylic paint on the globe and added to the work later with poster colours.

Mfikela Jean Samuel is a Contemporary Artist (Painter) from Africa but now resides permanently in North Wales. He has travelled across Europe and Africa and his paintings have been exhibited throughout the world in both public and private galleries and other cultural events. His primary medium is oil colours/acrylic on canvas. His source of inspiration comes from his African Cultural Heritage especially the ways of life of his lineage both past and present. His brush strokes are bold with vibrant colours, depicting the vast richness of his diverse cultural story and heritage. He also uses historical and contemporary themes where fact, imagination and illusions are brilliantly depicted. The great sceneries and landscapes of North Wales have captured his attention as seen in some of his works. As an Artist of his time, he has recently explored contemporary issues like Climate Change, Artificial Intelligence and Crypto Currency in his newest Art Forms.

mfikelajeansamuel.org

I conceived the idea for my creation enriched by my experiences of growing up in Liverpool which was inspired by Liverpool’s deep heritage and by poignant visits to the International Slavery Museum. 

The powerful accounts that were given about how people were taken from their beds in the middle of the night to embark on what is referred to as the ‘middle crossing’ has been ingrained in my memory. The design pays homage to the importance of the sea and the claustrophobic encounters as described by the people. The street names in Liverpool that link directly to the ‘slave masters’ have been graffitied on the rocks. Along with the anchor, the chains are embedding the rocks firmly into the sea bed. In some of the rocks one can identify human forms which have been depicted in close proximity to one another. 

My design acknowledges the okra flower as being a symbol of hope and the courageous work of Nanny of the Maroons. It reminds us all that during time’s of great adversity there is always a glimmer of hope and light – portrayed by the light penetrating the surface of the sea.

Laura is an extremely passionate painter and her work is rich in narrative. Laura attempts to challenge people’s emotions and to inspire the notion that through creating art we can both educate and liberate ourselves. More recently she has dedicated time to developing her skills in photography using both traditional and contemporary methods. She has pursued a career in teaching and alongside this has continued to develop her own studio practice, recently winning the accolade of ‘most realistic and most creative’ submission to ARU’s ‘Sweet Anatomy’ Competition, as judged by Grayson Perry. Additionally, Laura is no stranger to producing public artwork. She has contributed successfully to the ‘Go Penguin trail’, ‘Liverpool Greats’ and the ‘Books about Town’ initiatives, where her work was displayed outside of the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Abbi Bayliss is a digital illustrator and visual artist. Abbi has exhibited at Tate Britain with Tate Collective, Bristol Light Festival’s Banksy installation, Lush UK and had a regional exhibition tour of her Black Portraits Project exhibited across the South West to Carnaby street. Working within Bristol’s Art sectors such as Arnolfini and RWA, she’s also a Rising Arts Agency creative and the youngest member of the Visual Arts South West Steering Group. Alongside this, she’s a published illustrator of two children’s books, been commissioned by the BBC and has written podcasts for the National Trust, earning her title by Rife Magazine as one of Bristol’s most influential people under 30.

www.blackswanarts.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/black-swan-arts-open-2022/abbi-bayliss

GE is a mixed media artist based in Swansea. She came 3rd in the Glyn Vivian’s Art Gallery Swansea open 2021.

My work can be described as Social Realism. I am particularly interested in depicting the effects of socio-political events which adversely impact the lives of so many people. Children and women often find themselves the innocent victims of war. From the plight of children affected by apartheid to the ongoing refugee crisis, especially the current context of Europe and the United Kingdom. 

I am intrigued by the juxtaposition of colonial imagery with that of cultures which have lost so much of their own identity as a consequence of centuries of global European expansion. I work in a variety of mediums, including screen printing, drawing and painting in oils, acrylics and watercolours. Drawing inspiration from life, art galleries, museums, literature, news, and social media is important in the creation of my mostly representational works which aim to present recognisable imagery that can appear deceptively nostalgic, but carry a serious message. 

The World Reimagined project is a perfect platform of expression for a subject that is already close to my heart. As a white person born in Zambia (Northern Rhodesia) in 1963, who grew up in South Africa in the apartheid era, from an early age I have been conscious of social injustices. Apartheid, a result of colonialism, has fed into my artistic development. The Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans is inextricably tied up with the cruel domination and, in some cases, near annihilation of indigenous peoples like the Khoisan. 

My design covers more than one World Reimagined theme, but best represents, A Complex Triangle. The colonial wallpaper is a metaphor for centuries of denial and cover ups. A figure from Jean-Honore Fragonard’s rococo painting, ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’ (1750-52) is depicted on the paper signifying the blindness, selective or otherwise, of many western people to slavery in the past and the effects of its present-day legacy. The gradual disintegration of Empire slowly reveals more and more truths which can no longer be concealed – the truth will out.

Hazel Blue is a South African artist currently living in Glasgow, Scotland. Born in Zambia (Northern Rhodesia) in 1963, she grew up in Durban, KwaZulu Natal. Growing up in the climate of massive political and social change, Hazel is highly conscious of having had a privileged life as a white South African. Hazel later taught at Johannesburg Art, Ballet, Drama, and Music School in the five years preceding the 1994 elections. It was a volatile time with marches by the ANC, Inkatha Freedom Party and AWB starting on the street outside the school. Hazel’s work “Going Home?” from 1992 depicts people on a bus with a child as the focal point. The title refers to the violence that had erupted in Townships at this time. Hazel is currently working towards a MA in Arts Education. Her dissertation will investigate the teaching of Art History in Scottish Secondary Schools, interrogating the often Eurocentric perspective.

www.hazelblueartist.co.uk

This globe design is based around a body of work called Ancestral Foundations. This project looked to explore the impact that African ancestry plays on our sense of identity, especially for those who have grown up in Western countries with histories of colonialism and racial prejudice. 

This work was exhibited as a series of audio conversations accompanied by dual portraits intended as a means of gaining a truer reflection of each individual and the backgrounds that have influenced their lives. Every figure in this globe design has some connection with Wales, whether they have grown up around Wales or have moved in later life. 

By scanning the QR codes you can hear the sitters share a range of experiences; from those who have a strong connection to their roots to those whose connection has been broken or is unknown as a result of the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans. Many recall their personal experiences of connecting and reconnecting to their ancestry and their experiences of growing up and living in Wales. 

Surrounding each portrait on the globe are photos from the archives and family albums of those I spoke with. Hence each figure is submerged in their personal memories and family histories.

Joshua describes his practice as visual narration. He aims to tell a story through his work and bring the audience into a different experience, whether through portraiture, landscape painting or installation. Through the work he hopes to convey different emotions and sensations and create an open platform for personal exploration and discussion. His current work focuses on challenging perceptions of racial and cultural identity. Issues of racism and stereotyping have permeated Western art and remain present in contemporary media and society. Growing up in in England has given Joshua a Western perspective /training in art and painting, yet his practice has also been significantly informed by Ghanaian culture alongside black artists and voices.

www.joshuadonkorart.co.uk

Carol is a Dominican artist whose work explores connection to landscape, place and the entangled nature of botanical history and related cultural heritage. Carol has a diverse portfolio career which began as an Interior, Exhibition and Spatial Designer. She designed promotional stands and backdrops for countries represented at travel and tourism shows such as World Travel Market Olympia and Earl’s Court, London.

http://www.carolsorhaindoartist.com/

For my globe, continents and oceans are the intricate scaled patterns on a butterfly wing. Butterflies have many meanings. A symbol of migration, freedom, the returning souls of the dead. Their metamorphosis has been seen as a metaphor for puberty, transformation and societal change. I have chosen one of the world’s most common butterflies; the painted lady (Vanessa Cardiu), because they are found in most parts of the world, and travel vast distances at high altitude in cyclical migratory patterns, travelling further than any other species of butterfly; an annual distance of 12,000km, which is equivalent to crossing the Sahara Desert twice. Butterflies have inspired artists and scientists the world over. 

But at the turn of the eighteenth century the British naturalist, James Petiver, employed individuals and used the infrastructures of the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans and plantation slavery to gather thousands samples of butterflies and other natural specimens, and have them sent back to him in London. His collection became the beginnings of the British Museum and Natural History Museum collections. Petiver was only one of many naturalists and scientists who took advantage of the botanical, medical and scientific knowledge of West African people. 

And yet this legacy has still not been fully acknowledged. 

The scientific hierarchy created by colonialism continues still and decolonising science and the arts is urgent; during Damien Hirst’s 2012 Tate installation, ‘In and Out of Love’, 2012, 9000 butterflies died. And yet as a species and symbol they defy the impulse to conquer, capture and profit, and remain inhabitants of the world, belonging and prized everywhere. 

My globe shows south at the top, challenging the accepted perspective of north-orientated maps used by colonialists to explore and navigate using compasses. With this I hope to challenge this accepted hierarchy. I have titled my globe The Butterfly Effect after the scientific theory which has proven that a relatively small act or event, like this transformative project, can ultimately have an important impact.

Joanna combines painting with variations on the traditional printing techniques of etching and takuhon, digital printing and photography. She incorporates various mediums including oil paint, etching ink, wax and pastel, to create visually striking and ambiguous images which confront the complex relationship between human activity and the natural world.

www.joannacohn.com

Award-winning contemporary digital illustrator based in Bristol, UK. I create Pop art with a modern edge. My work has been commissioned for a collaborative project with Banksy, I had my first solo exhibition in Amsterdam in 2018/2019 and I have been commissioned by brands such as Nike, Footlocker, Facebook, BBC, gal-dem and more.

www.parysgardener.com

Kyle’s artistry has expanded into several genres from writing and directing for animation, filmmaking, theatre and graffiti murals, as well as designing and making his own graffiti clothing line. Kyle has written, directed, designed and animated four 2D short films for Channel 4 and S4C. He also makes music videos and cover art for local bands. In 2015, Kyle became the first artist in residence for National Theatre Wales. In 2017, Kyle wrote, designed and directed his own play “R.A.T.S (Rose Against the System), which was staged in the roof void at the Wales Millennium Centre. He has also actively contributed to multi-platform artworks for an exhibition that explores the legacy of the Cardiff 1919 race riots.

www.kylelegall.com