GIDA: the magazine faithfully documenting African visual culture

Africa is home to a multitude of peoples, with a number of diverging voices, but mainstream representation would still have you believe its 56 nations are one homogenous blob. GIDA Journal, a print publication founded by Momo Hassan-Odukale, is here to put a decisive end to this misrepresentation. As joint editors-in-chief, Hassan-Odukale and Mira Makadia are concerned with “dismantling the notion of a homogenous African culture”, and do so by spotlighting specific regions in Africa, delving into the creative process of local talent through GIDA’s vivid stories and features. For their current issue, GIDA Journal, Vol. II, the co-editors are focusing on creatives of East African heritage, giving a voice to the photographers, designers, artists and filmmakers that make up the region.

Allowing African voices to tell their own stories is especially important to the co-editors. “For too long there have been narratives of everything African not being told by Africans”, says Hassan-Odukale of the impetus to create the journal. GIDA is not only giving East Africans a space to represent themselves individually, but allows the creatives to be in conversation with one another. Makadia reminds us that East Africa “has long been subject to harmful stereotypes” and the only way to disrupt these clichés is to “offer new and authentic perspectives” from its citizens.

Given that each issue focuses on a specific region of Africa, one would be forgiven for thinking that the magazine is committed to a finite run – there are only so many points on a compass, after all. But while the pair “hope to continue spotlighting different regions” they recognise that they’re not limited to this format. “Working on GIDA Journal by region lays the groundwork for us to expand into other themes”, says Makadia, adding that “our approach is very collaborative and gives us a chance to build a genuine GIDA community across the continent.”

“We are excited to build out GIDA in different mediums, and to be a resource for the communities we serve” – Momo Hassan-Odukale

You can’t help but admire the plan. To make a print publication about the African continent is one thing, but to begin by highlighting specific regions, and then branch out to show how all those regions interconnect shows real foresight and ingenuity. It’s even more impressive when you realise that Hassan-Odukale and Makadia’s roles stretch far beyond their joint editorship. “We work on the creative, design, styling, and production – it’s hard to tell where the difficulties of being an editor stop and others begin!” That’s not to say that they’re taking their foot off the pedal any time soon. After this issue, the pair hope to expand GIDA into a digital platform and marketplace, building off the success of their first two issues. They’ll focus on building a mentorship programme for budding African creatives, and establish physical spaces where contributors can gather and create together. “Our print is super special to us”, concludes Hassan-Odukale, “but we are excited to build out GIDA in different mediums and to be a resource for the communities we serve.”

Below, we speak to five makers whose work appears in the second edition of GIDA, giving us a glimpse into the creative constellation that Hassan-Odukale has built.

IONA MCCREATH

Iona McCreath is a fashion designer and creative director of the Kenyan brand KikoRomeo. Founded by her mother in 1996, it was important for McCreath to continue the family business, “not only from the perspective of being able to build on what my mum had built, but also from the fact that many African brands aren’t legacy brands.” Deeply inspired by her East African heritage, McCreath sees each collection as a means of “unpacking different layers of what it means to be part of such a diverse societal fabrication.” Going forward, the designer is exploring alternative fibres that can be utilised in the production process, maximising sustainability across the brand. “Being in Kenya, we have a huge agricultural industry that generates a lot of waste”, says the designer, “much of which is prime for making textiles.”

TSION HAILESELASSIE

Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Tsion Haileselassie is a photographer, stylist and art director who photographed the artist Selome Muleta for GIDA, Vol II. Although she only started her photographic career five years ago, Haileselassie’s work is currently being exhibited at this year’s Venice Biennale, in collaboration with the New York-based art and architecture practice AD-WO. The installation, curated by Lesley Lokko, explores Addis Ababa’s Ghebbis – a territory surrounded by a wall or fence that can have metaphorical meaning – and Haileselassie photographed these structures for the work.

NADINE STIJNS & AMAL ALHAAG

In 2017, Nadine Stijns and Amal Alhaag founded the visual project Anarchist Citizenship, whose roots are in Somaliland. According to the pair, the project “looks into the concept of the nation state within the context of postcolonial African society”, and collaborates with local artists, filmmakers, architects and designers to “investigate how Somalilanders define citizenship and shape their identity through visual culture.” This is an especially pertinent project as Somaliland is not formally recognised as a sovereign nation, so Anarchist Citizenship is concerned with the “ways citizenship is performed through the friction between nation building and statelessness.” In the future, Stijns and Alhaag are planning another trip to Somaliland to collaborate with the youth-led art platform Fankeenna, and are also organising a public exhibition with Kinsi Abdulleh of Numbi Arts, whom they’ve worked with before.

FRED ODEDE

Inspired by his photographer father, Fred Odede picked up a camera at a very young age. As a child, he was constantly drawing and creating in any way possible, and was “fascinated by the process of capturing an image and seeing the final print.” Odede is responsible for the striking beach shots that adorn the front and back covers of GIDA, Vol. II, and is also part of the creative community and production company 199xorg. Ultimately, the photographer's mission statement is centred around “the exploration of the intersection of fashion and  culture, with a focus on reshaping representation”.

GIDA Journal, Vol. II is available to purchase online here, and at local bookshops and stockists here.

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