My African Aesthetic

Joshua Gwamoiza is the CEO and founder of ECO-MICE landscaping; a landscape design company with the heart to see sustainable and clean outdoor  environments in Uganda. With a unique landscaping brand that emphasizes team execution, innovation, and systematic operations, the firm aims to offer environmental master planning, landscape design and landscape remodeling services that improve their clients´ outdoor living spaces. This young and enthusiastic team aspires to be Africa's best employer and Africa's safest place to work. In this episode we talk about what inspires Joshua, his practice and his thoughts on landscape design in Uganda and Africa.https://landscapeuganda.com/Instagram:@ecomice.landscapingBlog: www.jpar.ch/uglaSupport the showInstagram: @myafricanaesthetic Twitter: @MyAfricanAesth1 https://www.myafricanaesthetic.com/

Evelyn Mugisha´s architecture and design career journey is bold, daring, versatile and inspiring.  She is an Architect and project management practitioner from Uganda. She moved to Australia in 2019 and currently works at  Infrastructure Victoria, an independent infrastructure advisory body for the State of Victoria in Australia. Evelyn shares her fascination for cities, the large scale urban infrastructure that makes up cities and how this infrastructure works. She offers her views on the state and the future of African cities of infrastructure, pointing us to some innovative and sustainable solutions. We are intrigued and inspired by Evelyn's personal and career achievements , specifically her process of transitioning to a different career path with architecture and design as her  backbone/foundation. We hope that this episode will help young architectural design professionals  broaden the spectrum of how they can apply themselves in different career paths. Support the showInstagram: @myafricanaesthetic Twitter: @MyAfricanAesth1 https://www.myafricanaesthetic.com/

Fungi Dube is a self-taught brand and visual identity graphic designer from Harare, Zimbabwe who has created a career for herself in design and visual storytelling. She describes her approach to design as being rooted in strategic, intentional and calculated sensibilities. Fungi is enthusiastic about designing from her African roots while being intentional about honoring designers who have played a key role in shaping Afrikan design. In this episode, Fungi reminds us that the African narrative is multi-diverse and multi-directional.  She also points us to the rich, relevant and very much available inspiration that is to be found in our African contexts, heritage and day to day life; tasking us with the challenging and encouraging us to go outside, observe and talk to our own  people about their everyday  lives and  processes. Instagram: @fungidubegraphicshttps://www.fungidube.com/my-linksSupport the showInstagram: @myafricanaesthetic Twitter: @MyAfricanAesth1 https://www.myafricanaesthetic.com/

Kinam Konlan is the founder of African Food Festival Norway (AFFN), the largest celebration of African culture, cuisine and heritage in the Nordics. She is from Ghana and moved  to Norway with her family at the age of 2. She is passionate and  enthusiastic about telling the African food story,  sharing our collective African food heritage and highlighting its place globally. Kinam believes that African food connects to the expression of who we are as africans; the memories and histories we share as individual African countries with various tribes but also as a continent. Instagram: @africanfoodnetworknorwaySupport the showInstagram: @myafricanaesthetic Twitter: @MyAfricanAesth1 https://www.myafricanaesthetic.com/

In this episode ,we talk to Ibrahim Elhayawan, an architect born and raised in Cairo, Egypt.  He takes us through his career journey ; from his early days in Egypt , to his 12 years at SNØHETTA a prestigious Norwegian design office, and eventually to Various Architects. In 2008, he Co-founded Various Architects a "Norwegian architectural studio- a mixture of youthful and experienced staff with various backgrounds, that prioritizes environmental solutions and innovative sustainable designs and encourages cross disciplinary engagement in architectural practice. We also talk about the opportunities and challenges of working in a foreign context and how leading and working with a diverse cultural and design team looks like. Recorded on Mar 20, 2022 More about Various architects here: https://variousarchitects.no/Instagram: @variousarchitectsSupport the showInstagram: @myafricanaesthetic Twitter: @MyAfricanAesth1 https://www.myafricanaesthetic.com/

On this episode; co-hosts; Eunice N Schumacher and Penina Acayo Laker start off  this seasons recap  on a high note and share highlights and lessons learned from  an amazing group of practitioners this season: Architects (Tosin Oshinowa, Jesse Tukacungurwa), Graphic Designers and researchers and educators (Tapiwa Matsinde, Henry Mainsah) and revolutionary design thinking enthusiast changing the game (Ateh Nkem Atabong). Many thanks to all our gusets!Our first article is out in Uganda´s architectural journal by the Uganda Society of Architects (USA)Our very own; Penina Acayo Laker has co-authored a book; “The Black Experience in Design:  Identity, Expression & Reflection . She briefly shares about the book and  her experience on this book.We celebrate and congratulate on architect Francis Kere on his achievement, the first African to win a Pritzker Architecture Prize (It's about time!!!)Podcast collaborations and “Spin offs” are underway! Our website is live and will be a place you will want to keep your eyes out for as we document upcoming collaborative projects with some of our guests.Netflix celebrates African talent in new documentary seriesMade by Design.Highlight publications.Fashion Illustration Africa Paperback – November 2, 2016Author: Tapiwa Matsindehttps://www.atelier55design.com/Contemporary Design Africa Paperback – Illustrated, June 2, 2015Author: Tapiwa Matsindehttps://www.atelier55design.com/The Black Experience in Design- Identity, Expression & ReflectionAuthors: Anne H. Berry, Kareem Collie, Penina Acayo Laker, Lesley-Ann Noel, Jennifer Rittner, Kelly Walters

Henry Mainsah is a Research Professor, media and design scholar at the Institute for Consumption Research at the Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway (OsloMet) .He is originally from Cameroon and has lived, studied and worked in different African and European contexts. He obtained his PhD from the University of Oslo. He worked at the university of Oslo, and later worked as an Associate Professor at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design.  His research interests include interdisciplinary research methods, digital media, design, identity, digital literacies, and youth culture. His publications are available in print and on the internet. In this episode, we talk about; Design Research and how it compliments  design practice;Social media design and its relevance to showcasing african design and designers; andAfrican Identity and designPublications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=mt2Kf2kAAAAJ&hl=en

Tapiwa Matsinde is an author, an independent curator, a content creator, a design consultant and design business mentor. Storytelling is at the heart of what she does. She draws a lot of inspiration from her Zimbabwean heritage and the rich and diverse  cultural heritage from the African continent and African diaspora. Her practice is focused on shining a light on designers, artisans and creatives  who are underrepresented in the creative industries in Africa and the African diaspora.  She shares their stories, and helps them tell their own stories through her award-winning platform atelier 55; that started as a blog and has evolved into an invaluable resource in telling African design stories. She also hosts a podcast called " Behind The Design" where she engages in insightful conversations with designers and creatives from Africa.Books: Contemporary Design Africa, ifa-Pure Gold, Fashion Illustration Africahttps://www.atelier55design.com/Instagram: @atelier55designwww.tapiwamatsinde.com 

Ateh Atabong is a Pharmacist, a Business Strategist, a Business Development Manager, Mentor and design thinking enthusiast. He is the co-founder and CEO of SAWA, an agribusiness company based in Norway, that imports highly nutritional and high quality nutritional and medicinal ingredients from Africa to the European market.In this episode we will draw on his expertise and experience in growing agribusinesses and as a mentor for young and upcoming innovators and investors  in  agribusiness in  Africa and the diaspora.  We talk about the state of agriculture and agro-businesses in Africa; and how architects, designers and innovators can apply their knowledge and expertise through applying design thinking principles; to create sustainable solutions and businesses in agriculture. 

On this episode we talk to Ateh Atabong who is originally from Cameroon but has been living in Norway since April 1999.  However; his connection to the African continent has always been strong. He is a pharmacist and mentor;  with various qualifications in bussiness development, leadership, strategy, customer validation & design thinking. Ateh has a passion for bussiness and innnovation in Africa.Ateh is a Business Development Manager for Pharma and Healthcare Logistics at a global logistics company. He is  the founder and CEO of SAWA AS, an agribusiness company that imports highly nutritional and high quality ingredients from Africa to the European market. https://www.sawa.no/He is also the founder and CEO of HETA consult; a company that focuses on healthcare for the african market;  providing health care consultation focused on defining and identifying general health solutions for the African health  market, together with healthcare practitioners, organizations, private, public companies and individuals in order to build effective and sustainable health care systems in Africa.https://www.hetaconsult.com/He is a Board member at Norway Cameroon Business Council, Africa Connect and Pangea Angels ASOver the years he has ventured into startups, Business development in pharmacy, healthcare, agriculture and logistics in Africa and Scandinavia. This path also sparked genuine interest in design thinking and its role in successful business development. Ateh believes that interogating and exploring the the connection between design thinking and creating solutions for the African market is the key to  identifying, understanding and finding solutions for  the challenges we face in the health care sector in africa. He also helps point out  opportunities for designers to engage and apply their knowledge in the healthcare sector in Africa. 

Architect Jesse Tukacungurwa is a Registered Architect, with over 15 years of experience in building projects design, project management and supervision. He is the director of design at ONCEPTi Architects in Kampala Uganda; a firm that he started 12 years ago.  Jesse holds a Bachelor degree in Architecture from Makerere University in Kampala-Uganda and a Masters degree in Sustainable building Technology from the University of Nottingham. His practice specialises in Sustainable building design aiming to transfer  knowledge and skills on how to bring down the energy load of buildings and create architectural solutions for the african context.

Tosin Oshinowo is a Nigerian architect, Designer, Creative Entrepreneur, Culture Enthusiast, History Junkie & Mummy. Tosin holds a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from Kingston University,  a Masters in Urban Design from the Bartlett School of Architecture London and an Architecture Postgraduate Diploma from the Architecture Association, London.She had her early professional practice in London and Rotterdam before moving to Nigeria. Tosin is the founder and Director of CmDesign Atelier, an Architectural Design Consultancy firm she set up in 2012 in Nigeria.  It is a collaborative, informed and aspirational design practice that strives to work with people as people and not just as clients; creating places conscious of materiality, light and spatial experience.In 2017, she founded ILE ILA (House of Lines), a contemporary handmade Nigerian lifestyle furniture line which celebrates her native Yoruba culture and is known for its period- conscious, bold and colorful expressions made in Lagos, Nigeria. 

After such a rich first season, Eunice and Penina (co-hosts) sit down and reflect upon key themes such as: the role of identity and knowing ones heritage when designing in the African context; the value of telling our own stories, in our own African way and lens; and how our education system needs to stay relevant to meet the demands of today's landscape;  that emerged from our conversations with our guests. A huge thank you to all our guests for sharing their stories and invaluable experiences with us. To all our listeners, we appreciate your support, messages and words of encouragement. We look forward to building upon ideas from season one, in addition to introducing you to a new group of designers and architects living and practicing on the continent and the diaspora.

Jude Yaw Agboada is a visual communication designer, educator and branding expert from Ghana. He currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri and teaches communication design at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri where he holds a position as the 2019-21 Louis D. Beaumont Artist-in-Residence.Through his design practice called “ Made In Edujway,” Jude had worked with clients like Ghana International School, University of Ghana Business School, and GIZ Ghana. Jude uses storytelling, dialogue to explore ways to encourage difficult conversations across cultures. In his practice, Jude explores how people define community, identity and culture via multidisciplinary approaches- ranging from artist books to public installations.Jude holds a Bachelors in Communication Design from Kwame Nkrumah University of science and technology in Kumasi, Ghana and a Master of Fine Arts in Visual communication design from the school of art institute of Chicago, Illinois.

Doreen Adengo is an Architect based in Kampala, Uganda where she runs an architectural firm called Adengo architecture. Much of Doreen’s work is focused on communicating the value of professional design services in African cities. In a context where non-designers often build their own homes, schools, and other structures, she believes that it’s critical to make the case that architects and urban planners can improve people’s everyday lives, helping cities develop sustainably.After completing her undergraduate and graduate studies at the Catholic University and Yale respectively, Doreen worked for design firms in London, Washington DC, and New York. She has taught at The New School and Pratt Institute in New York and at Uganda Marty's University, and until recently served as a visiting critic at University of Johannesburg’s Graduate School of Architecture.

Jude Yaw Agboada is a visual communication designer, educator and branding expert from Ghana. He currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri and teaches communication design at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri where he holds a position as the 2019-21 Louis D. Beaumont Artist-in-Residence.Through his design practice called “ Made In Edujway,” Jude had worked with clients like Ghana International School, University of Ghana Business School, and GIZ Ghana. Jude uses storytelling, dialogue to explore ways to encourage difficult conversations across cultures. In his practice, Jude explores how people define community, identity and culture via multidisciplinary approaches- ranging from artist books to public installations.Jude holds a Bachelors in Communication Design from Kwame Nkrumah University of science and technology in Kumasi, Ghana and a Master of Fine Arts in Visual communication design from the school of art institute of Chicago, Illinois.

Abigail thrives on Creativity! As a practicing fine artist, who then studied architecture from Makarere University in Kampala Uganda, worked and lived in both Europe and Africa, she is extremely passionate about the role design plays in innovatively creating order and solving many of the world's complexities. She currently serve as Head of Design at Design without Borders, as well as Director on the Board, Africa Office, one of the first of its kind Industrial design studio based in Kampala. A core part of her practice is rooted in co-design, a fundamental approach used to effectively respond to people’s needs during the creation of innovative products, services, or spaces. Over the past 7 years she has lead design projects with foundations, public and private sector institutions, humanitarian agencies, and social enterprises; and spoken widely on the value of design in the fast-growing African context. Through these collaborations, she has worked on projects such as the redesign of sanitation and housing solutions for slum communities in Kampala; developed financial literacy and reproductive health tools for the empowerment of rural communities in Uganda, and undertaken clinical studies for the introduction of a medical device for effective IV therapy for children.Episode is LivePublished: Dec. 12, 2020 @ 1PM EditUnpublishAdd a TranscriptGet episode better indexed by search engines.Add Chapter MarkersListeners can tap through & see what’s coming up.Create a Visual SoundbiteBest way to share to social media for engagement.Share Episode OnFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

Abigail thrives on Creativity! As a practicing fine artist, who then studied architecture from Makarere University in Kampala Uganda, worked and lived in both Europe and Africa, she is extremely passionate about the role design plays in innovatively creating order and solving many of the world's complexities. She currently serve as Head of Design at Design without Borders, as well as Director on the Board, Africa Office, one of the first of its kind Industrial design studio based in Kampala. A core part of her practice is rooted in co-design, a fundamental approach used to effectively respond to people’s needs during the creation of innovative products, services, or spaces. Over the past 7 years she has lead design projects with foundations, public and private sector institutions, humanitarian agencies, and social enterprises; and spoken widely on the value of design in the fast-growing African context. Through these collaborations, she has worked on projects such as the redesign of sanitation and housing solutions for slum communities in Kampala; developed financial literacy and reproductive health tools for the empowerment of rural communities in Uganda, and undertaken clinical studies for the introduction of a medical device for effective IV therapy for children.

In this episode, Professor Mugendi reflects on his role as president of the World Design Organization and how that work continues to spark a desire for mentoring young African designers, especially having been inspired and mentored by one of the most celebrated African design heroes, Esther Mahlangu. Professor Mugendi also shares his thoughts on the “state of design in Africa,” the importance of co-creating new homegrown narratives that interrogate the African aesthetic from the instead out—Afrika with a “K” vs. Africa with a “C.”Holos Creative SolutionsUnwasted DocumentaryYou can listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast addict, Podchaser, Deezer, Listen Notes, Player FM and other podcast listening platforms/apps. Remember to subscribe, leave a review or comment and share.#myafricanaesthetic #Africanarchitecture # Africandesign #kenyandesign #machakosuniversity #holosdesignsolutions #socialimpactdesign #esthermahlangu #ndebeledesign #africanaesthetic #africanarchitects #africanstories #myafrica #africanmedia #africandesigneducation #designeducation #africarising #architecture #construction #innovation #education #podcast #research #development #sustainabilityeducation #africanarchitecture #africandesign #africanarchitects #africandiaspora #myafricanaesthetic

Prof. Mugendi K. M’Rithaa is a transdisciplinary industrial designer, consultant, educator and researcher with postgraduate qualifications in both Industrial Design and Universal Design. Professor Mugendi has taught in Kenya, Botswana, South Africa and Sweden and is passionate about various expressions of socially conscious design, including Design Thinking/Human-Centred Design (HCD); Designerly Strategies for Mitigating Climate Change; Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability; Distributed Renewable Energy; Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Participatory/Co-Design; and Universal/Inclusive Design.He has a special interest in the pivotal role of design thinking in advancing the developmental agenda on the African continent. He is a founding member of the Network of Afrika Designers (NAD), and affiliated with a number of other international networks including the Association of Designers of India (ADI) who are focused on design within industrially developing world contexts. He is former President and executive board member of the World Design Organization (WDO), formerly known as the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design. His work with the World Design Organization strives to advance the quest of the industrial design profession to resolve wicked problems in diverse contexts. He currently serves on the design faculty at Machakos University in Kenya and is also the co-founder and Chief Design Officer of Holos Creative Solutions, a Kenyan-based design consultancy committed to co-creating socially conscious design solutions that celebrate Afrika, Design and Innovation.

In this episode we chat with Laverne Wyatt, a graphic communications manager, author, social entrepreneur and African design enthusiast from Durban, South Africa. Laverne shares with us how growing up during apathied in South Africa opened her eyes to issues of inequality and exclusion from an early age—schools were segregated based on race and class. Infact, she only learned about design accidentally at the age of 16 when an employee of her mother noticed her talent for drawing. Today, she runs her own practice in Norway where she currently resides and continues to find inspiration from her own South African heritage. Through projects like Bloom with Laverne, she helps people discover their potential while being their most authentic self. “We are defined by our roots but are not our roots” —Laverne Wyatt.

In this episode; Eunice Nanzala Schumacher and Penina Acayo Laker talk to Dr. Kenneth Ssemogerere; a Registered and Practicing Ugandan Architect, Educator, Project manager and Founder of SASA Innovation Design Center. He talks about his upbringing, educational background and how he arrived at architecture as a career path. He reflects on the challenges we continue to face in the way we teach design and architecture in Uganda and Africa in general. Visit SASA Infrastructure Group Ltd ´s website at https://www.sasaarchitects.com/ to learn more about their work.Linked In Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-ssemwogerere-42b60617/

In this episode Dr. Ken talks about transitioning from architecture school into professional architectural practice—being trusted to be the resident architect of Uganda’s new State House construction in Entebbe. His passion for education and research eventually saw the development of SASA Innovation Design Center, with a vision to transfer design knowledge, encourage innovation and challenge young African designers to develop solutions that are relevant to their context. Visit SASA Infrastructure Group Ltd ´s website at https://www.sasaarchitects.com/ to learn more about their work.Linked In Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-ssemwogerere-42b60617/