David Zinyama | Putting the Personality Back Into Graphics.

David Zinyama

David Zinyama is an artist with a personality that he isn’t afraid to show in his work. His graphics design portfolio ranges from the creative and innovative to the comical and mildly disturbing. He is an explorative risk taker with a wild imagination who loves pushing the envelope. “I love to break rules, I’m sure all designers do. I would say life inspires me, people, even a book or article in the newspaper or online. I am easily inspired because I am always thinking and observing my surroundings.” It was during his A-levels in Business Studies, Sociology, Economics, English language, English Literature and Philosophy that David decided that graphics design was, in fact, his true calling. “I knew taking the academic route wasn’t for me and I decided to pursue my passion for design, which is something that has become a full time career as well as a business.” He was only 16 years old.

Quirky

With six A-levels to focus on, David didn’t have time for a formal graphics design education; he is self-taught. Yet, his short career spanning over 7 years has taken him from the city of Liverpool in North West England, to a portfolio of international clients and growing fame. He taught himself in true 21st Century style – through YouTube tutorials and reading up on his craft. His consistent practice helped him develop all he learnt into the magic we see today. But that wasn’t the beginning for David, who started as a MySpace era musician. “I used to produce and write my own music. So I would design my own CD covers. But I can say it all kicked off for me when my peers and those around me saw that I had some skill. Although I wasn’t that great, they still approached me. I would offer my services and charge a small fee. The more I designed, the better I got and the more clients I generated. People began taking interest. That was when I decided I would love to take it seriously, so I dropped music.” David took a risk, leaving something he was once passionate about for something in which, by his own admission, he was barely competent. He knew what he had to do to develop his skills and he did it. 

Although his career is only just truly beginning, it hasn’t been without incredible moments. “The invention of the social network Instagram has to have been the most remarkable turning point so far in my life and career. Being able to have the platform to show people what I can do as a digital artist has opened a lot of doors and opportunities for me, especially by growing my international clientele.” This year he was honoured with a TED Talks invitation, although he was unable to attend. “I have had the pleasure of working with the large organizations throughout the UK, as well as breaking through to other countries and getting recognition in the past year. This has expanded my business in so many ways.”

Shark bait

Relationships by David Zinyama

David’s manipulations have made him infamous with some entertainment bloggers. He has been known to Photoshop himself into the pictures of celebrities such as Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian and Michelle Obama, usually as their significant other. He believes that people who react adversely to these manipulations have misunderstood the motives behind his pieces. “As a manipulator, I have work that is serious and work that is just for fun. I’m sure the two can be distinguished. People have seen a side of me that they like, be that my original work or a celebrity image I have manipulated just for laughs. So I do not feel it will overshadow my work because I keep the balance between my original work and the work involving celebrities. Even if it does overshadow my work, it is not much of a concern for me because my celebrity manipulations will always lead back to my other work due to the viewer’s curiosity.” 

Bible-Pray by David Zinyama

Pray for Gaza by David Zinyama

But beyond his tongue in cheek manipulations, David has a serious side.  In regards to his social, political and religious consciousness he says that people have different views and perceptions, and he is no exception. “Sometimes in my work I like to show my love for God or put my religious thoughts forwards. At the end of the day it is what makes me who I am.” He believes that including these aspects of himself in his work allows viewers and fans to get to know him more as a person. “Everyone is different and I love to interact with viewers through my visuals. It is also a way of getting to know them as much as they already know me.”

Digital Eye by David Zinyama

 For more information on David Zinyama and his work find him on: 

Instagram: @davidzinyama

Twitter: @davidzinyama

Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidzinyamaofficial

Jazz Hands | On Music and Healing

Autism is, rather accurately, described by the young behavioural interventionist, Noddy Nweke, as “esoteric”, because although the neurodevelopmental disorder is known by the general public, it is still viewed as mysterious. “It is understood by few, and I guess I'm one of those people who seeks to understand it as much as possible”, she explains. But regardless of what you think you know-and what you most likely don’t-Noddy is providing you an opportunity to constructively help people on the autism spectrum through an event called Jazz Hands.

The First of the Jazz Hands Series in May 2014

Speaking on the inspiration behind what looks to be an exceptional series, she says: “the concept came to me when I met an individual named Ruben, while I was shadowing one of my colleagues at work. That day, they happened to have music class and Ruben made his way to the piano and began playing and singing some popular songs. He got the attention of the whole class and they joined him in singing. At that moment I thought, ‘why doesn't he have a place to display this talent?’ I decided that day, with the encouragement of my colleague Mikal, to start a program where talented individuals like Ruben could be seen and heard.”

There is no shortage of musically talented individuals in the world. Yet Noddy chose to focus her efforts on individuals on the autism spectrum, fulfilling a passion she has nurtured for over three years. “I had been searching for a way to combine autism and music. Music is incredibly powerful, yet undermined as a means of communication, therapy, etc. Music can move; music can heal; music can bridge gaps; music is a universal language.” The merger of music with autism was no happy accident. Although using music comes naturally to Noddy, who is a self-taught pianist and clarinet player, and has been writing and singing since childhood, she thoroughly researched the connection between autism and music before making her choice. “I have done a lot of personal research on the topic which has shown me that many individuals with autism have an overwhelmingly positive reaction to music.”

Credit Where Credit is Due: An Emotional Noddy During May's Jazz Hands Concert 

The first instalment of Jazz Hands happened earlier in May of this year. Reeling from the success of the first event, she met with her team and decided to produce Jazz Hands on a quarterly basis as part of a concert series. Part two will be here on September 13th 2014 from 2pm-4pm at the Electric Lodge in Venice, CA. “I'm very big on feelings, and it just feels like the right thing to do, honestly”, she says about her quick fire decision which was made easier by the unexpected and overwhelming response. “It literally brings tears to my eyes. I've received so much support from so many people. It's staggering. People are willing to donate their time to this project? That means so much to me because time is a very valuable and irretrievable entity”.

With one successful event under her belt, the entire journey has undoubtedly been an enjoyable experience and Noddy is ready to see things evolve steadily. “This process teaches me so many valuable lessons in discipline, planning and execution. The end result is elating, to see all the performers so happy and expressive on a stage that may previously have been unavailable to them. I have really big plans for Jazz Hands and the Jazz Hands Concert Series”.  Noddy plans to further expand the concert series by incorporating a consultation and socialisation aspect, among other things. “So stay tuned to find out!”

And remember to save the date.

The OPCs | Ozone Developers

Ozone Developers

It’s easy to believe, when looking from the outside in, that start-ups manifest in the blink of an eye and establish themselves without warning. I am learning that this is not the case.

“I was actually already an entrepreneur before getting into the university. I started building sites for businesses and individuals when I was 19. Then I got into the University of Bolton, failing horribly in my first semester, then pulling myself together and managing to graduate within the top 3 of my class. It's been a very humbling journey to say the least.” Even though Oche Charles Edache finished with a first class, he didn’t wait that long to make the business decisions that have now shaped his professional life.

The man himself.

Nor did he let a rough start determine the rest of his life. I think it’s fair to say that many people in his shoes would have played it safe after failing their first semester of university. But when he graduated he started Ozone Developers, the Online Presence Creators or OPCs as they like to be called, as opposed to working for someone else first. “The beauty of entrepreneurship lies in its individuality. It gives a person the choice to attempt to take their destiny into their own hands. Coupled with my slightly rebellious personality, it was a no brainer for me, especially after being unhappy with the bulk of traditional jobs I had worked in the past.” So he took the risk.

The OPCs

But running your own business is almost always about risk taking, an example of which is taking a chance on the right team of people to work with. It is a decision that can make or break your business and it’s one that many dread. As Oche himself explains, “it is common knowledge that start-ups suffer in their first year or two because of the inherent challenges found with an independent venture.” His dilemma wasn’t so much finding the right people as much as convincing them that Ozone Developers was the right place for them. “It’s hard to get people to believe in an idea when they have to start from scratch with a bare minimum salary. But if you do manage to find people that are willing to work with you and believe in the idea despite these challenges, then that is a team capable of any feat. I was fortunate to have met such people when the company was first founded and it's because of them that we've been able to get this far.”

Getting heard

Something else to consider is where you might be establishing your business and what that means. Although Nigeria has had the double honour of being declared a MINT country with the largest GDP in Africa, there are many other factors on the ground that can hinder the growth of your business if you aren’t prepared. “Age is a serious determinant to how well a deal can go. Coupled with the fact that respect must be shown to your elders even when conducting business, it makes being a young entrepreneur much more demanding.” Needless to say, it took Oche no time at all to realise that owning a start-up in Nigeria differs greatly from what he was used to as a young entrepreneur at the University of Bolton. “Social capital is essential to the success of business here. People are still wary of modern business marketing practices so while having an online and social media marketing campaign is very helpful, word of mouth and your wealth of social capital remains key to fully harnessing any given market, even in the IT sector.”

Coming Soon.

So far, Ozone Developers have had a lot of success working with clients such as GUUT Technologies Ltd., the Spellbound Spelling Bee competition and Abbi Books. Also the company will soon be introducing their Ozone Mobile services which is due to be launched next month.

As a business that boasts an understanding of the importance of brand image, it is no surprise that they rather creatively tagged themselves OPCs (Online Presence Creators), a name that has caught on since they were officially established in 2013. “The name came rather organically. We looked at what we were offering and thought to ourselves, we aren't just offering a service here. We're offering a package of services.” Their goal is to be the foremost OPCs in Nigeria and eventually Africa. “Cliché, I know. But we're determined.”

Brainstorming

One of the ways the OPCs plan to achieve this is through engaging with and giving back to their community. “There are over 160 million Nigerians in the country, out of which only about 10 million are actively engaged on the web and in IT. We want to help change that and we have started. For now we're developing an initiative to be launched in the near future where we teach design and web development techniques in easy and understandable language on our website every week. As the company grows we would like to reach out to those who do not have access to the web to provide these services for free. It’s a small start, but great things typically start that way.”

More recently they had the opportunity to fulfil the company’s vision of giving back by supporting SMIWAI, The St Mary Indigent Women Advancement Initiative, and their various empowerment initiatives.

Oche has taken Ozone Developers from a mere concept in his mind to a fully functional business since its 2013 debut. His bold step of running the business’ activities from micromanagement right down to IT on his own, for the most part, is paying off. The only way is up.

The result of hard work

For more information on Oche and the rest of the OPCs visit:

Website: http://ozonedeveloper.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ozone-Developers/229164710625016

SNAP! | Red Orange Photography

Koko: The man himself.

I remember, even on his last birthday before leaving Dubai, Koko was somewhere in the corner of the room taking more pictures of his guests than he was interacting with them. Yet when he did join in, his sense of humour would keep the party alive. But for the most part, he hid behind the camera, documenting moments with a glint in his eye and mischief in his smile. He says of his first experiences behind a camera, “I decided to start taking my passion more seriously because I realised that once I held a camera in my hand, I felt invincible. I decided that I needed a camera of my own and dedicated my pocket money over the next four months to it”.

Dubai Marina.

Branding: the Red Orange Photography logo.

For all my teasing I never felt comfortable referring to him as an ‘amateur’ photographer. His passion for the arts developed from a young age as he followed in the steps of his mother, an arts and crafts teacher. Although he was aware that his strength did not lie in drawing, his love for the arts stayed with him even when technology became his new found passion: “it was expected that I would follow in my mum's footsteps but that all changed the day I first saw a computer”. He wanted something that bridged both his passions together. Thankfully he found just what he was looking for: “with the advancement of technology and the introduction of the digital age [of photography] my midpoint had been found; arts through the digital camera. That’s how Red Orange Photography was born, an idea with no name, business place or equipment. Red Orange Photography is driven by two major forces: the love for art and the creation of that art via a digital means”.

The diverse brand covers weddings and events.

Red Orange Photography is actually a subcategory of Red Orange Media, the parent company. However, Koko officially began his journey with Red Orange Photography just over a year ago. Eventually “Red Orange Media will diversify into other fields including corporate branding, identity creation, IT solutions and graphics designs”. Regardless of his passion and talent, he recognised that the standards of his work in the early stages did not match that of his peers. “I decided to get formal training from one of the best photographers in Nigeria, Mr. Shola Animashaun”. He explained that his mentor has been one of the most inspiring and life changing people he has had the pleasure of working with in relation to Red Orange Photography. After improving his skills, he was able to make his dream a reality. His researched showed that he would find a niche in the Nigerian market where he has established his brand: “Red Orange Photography majors in wedding, event and documentary photography and from our market survey we discovered that the area (State/City) we intended to set up had little or none of this style of photography, so this was perfect for us”.

Culture: Red Orange Photography is based in Uyo, a popular cultural hub in Nigeria.

Koko cannot underestimate the impact of social media on Red Orange Photography’s rapid growth. He understands the role that social media has played in raising awareness and providing information about the brand. “We have made clients from different parts of the country and world. Through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, our clients and prospective clients can view our creations from anywhere in the world and contact us accordingly”. This is undoubtedly useful for him as he has every intention of expanding the scope of Red Orange Photography and Red Orange Media beyond Nigeria.

Calabar Jazz Festival 2014: Kunle Ayo & Asa

Koko’s main goals are simple: “to be one of the most recognized photography and media outfit in the world and to take at least one amazing picture in every continent of the world”. And of course to take an official picture of the Queen of England!

To find out more about Koko's journey with Red Orange Photography, follow the brand on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/redorangephotography

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/redorangephotos

Instagram: @redorangephotography

The Foodie | Capitalising on your passion: The Ni Fries Story.

Feranmi Ajetomobi

When I first decided to write about inspirational people around me, one of the first people I was hoping to interview was Feranmi Ajetomobi, young entrepreneur and the brains behind Nigeria’s latest food joint, Ni Fries. Any Nigerian will tell you that food is an integral part of our culture and we fry almost everything that ends up on our plate. Ni Fries’ aim is to rebrand and promote Nigerian fried foods on a global scale. And it all started from a night time stroll with a friend. Four months after discussing the possibility of presenting fried Nigerian delicacies in an attractive manner, the Ni Fries dream became a reality. After putting a lot of thought into the appropriate branding for his start-up he came up with the innovative name which is simply a shortened form of “Nigerian Fries”.

The Ni Fries stand and our young entrepreneur

Although the name and the idea itself might seem simple minded, Feranmi is living the 21st century Nigerian dream. “As an individual I strongly believe culture is the voice of a people and a people without strong cultural foundations and values have no voice. This belief drives me towards developing a Nigerian voice by promoting the Nigerian culture through food. I am taking my culture to the world through food”. Food is a deep-seated part of Nigerian cultures and traditions and learning how to cook or the significance of specific foods or meals to your tribe is still considered a rite of passage by many. 

Bread, Bean Cakes and Prawn Sauce. A Speciality

But being a young entrepreneur doesn’t come without its challenges: “the hardest part I would say is learning to lead older workers especially in a Nigerian system”. Because respecting your elders is also one of the cornerstones of Nigerian society, employing and regulating older workers as a young adult whilst maintaining your respectfulness can be a tricky route to navigate. However 20 year old Feranmi handles the dilemma with finesse, “at first it was difficult, but with patience and gentility combined with firmness it started getting easier”‎. Being aware of how his maturity has aided him in his new found occupation as a businessman, I couldn’t resist asking him for some advice for myself and other budding entrepreneurs out there. He replied with a quote from American business strategist, Daniel Burrus “Look at what the best of the best are doing…and then go beyond them. Think bigger. Don’t compete. Create. Innovate”. He explains why these words are so influential for him by saying “although there is nothing new under the sun there is always a different to do the same way. BE CREATIVELY DIFFERENT”.  

So what do we have to look forward to from Ni Fries and our young entrepreneur? Well for his business Feranmi hopes to expand in terms of products, services and outlets. As mentioned previously the aim is to get Nigerian fried meals to global tongues, so his expansion goals include growing into a foreign country in the near future. Presently Ni Fries’ focus is to build a delivery system for their current base, Lagos State, Nigeria. Personally Feranmi has a great interest in societal development as is clear through his choice of entrepreneurship. “My book of plans has a Street Business School as the next agenda. The aims would be to build up individuals from young ages in their areas of interest and encourage the growth of a profit generation that is able to benefit from works based on their areas of interest while they earn their education”. It seems this young man has his plate full.

Guilty Pleasure: Sample of Fries with Turkey and a Corned Beef Sauce.

Valentine Onah | The Graphic Chef

The Man. The Mantra.

Multi-talented isn’t a word that should be thrown around. So pardon me as I slip it into the description of this extremely creative, intelligent, forward-thinking, multi-talented perfectionist that is the Nigerian gifted artist and architect in the making Valentine Onah. The Graphic Chef as he likes to be known is a professional designer capable of "cooking" up breath taking artworks, brand identities and sustainable architectural designs. His brand, Eveonstudio is also known as The Graphic Kitchen.

So what could possibly be dream come true for this young man who seems to be on the track to having it all? “I have a lot of dreams! I would love to see Eveonstudio stand out as a recognisable, strong competitor in the field of art and design. I'm constantly developing, learning and increasing my capacity to drive it. If I wake up one day to realise my brand is suddenly nationally renowned, I think that would be phase one of that dream come true”. A man with a plan. And that plan is diverse, rich and multi-faceted because what many people don’t know about this artist and architect-in-training is that he is also environmentally conscious, a trait that is too often undermined.

Inspired by Breath of life | Florence and the Machines 

He spoke in detail to me about the importance of preserving the earth: “considering the rate of environmental degradation resulting from our actions and decisions, if we don't make conscious informed decisions today in the way we live and build there might be no earth for the future generations”. Yet we can’t just blindly build green and hope that this will somehow improve the environment. In order to avoid criticisms that will surely come such as those put against wind turbines that are supposedly killing off bald eagles in America, we must understand our environment not just on a global scale but also on a local, site-specific scale by recognising what works best where and why. When designing in such situations then it is the job of the architect to “meet the needs of the user without creating more negative impacts than necessary”. 

Charcoal on paper: Inspired by a photograph by Lee Jeffries of a homeless man. 

But Valentine being the ambitious young man he is takes it further, saying that minimising negative impact shouldn’t be where the goal ends; we should also be consciously trying to contribute positively to the world around us. He believes that if this mantra is accepted globally that we can restore the earth with a culmination of seemingly small actions. “We all should be aware that earth is currently sick, like an ill child. If we want her well again, we must do something other than continue our habit of poisoning her”.

This is all well and good but I’m sure many of my readers will be wondering like I was if this is something achievable for Nigeria. Valentine believes it is God’s gift to the motherland. He admits that if our aim is to finally shake the unreliable shackles of the Nigerian power authority PHCN then the initial installation costs will be high. However the money spent will be well worth it as we shouldn’t need to worry about power in the end. “Solar power can be harnessed any were the sun shines but wind power would require wind speeds in the area to reach a minimum velocity”. Most Nigerians will tell you that wind and sunshine are things we have in abundance. And he knows exactly how this can be achieved:

Proposed Abuja Art Expo Centre: Inspired by the Eyo masquerade. Solar panels, three 50kw vertical axis wind turbines for alternative renewable energy. GRFP pipes around the roof for harvesting rainwater into the annex building, "Greenhouse" for treatment and reuse. 

“An economical approach to natural alternative power will be incorporating inverters and batteries with a few solar panels. The public power charges the batteries when available, if unavailable your solar panels would supply power to charge them. The inverter could be configured to supply power to only a few electrical outlets and lighting fixtures (bulbs) to conserve energy when in use. Lastly the use of energy star rated appliances should be promoted to cut down power consumption. Your batteries would last longer that way”.

Seems complex but not impossible. According to the budget office of the Federal Government of Nigeria PHCN’s total capital for 2012 stood at over N51 billion (over $300 million). Surely some of those funds could be directed towards giving Nigeria a more stable, more environmentally friendly power alternative.

Beyond all that Valentine seemed excited for the future of the Nigerian architectural scene. “I'm aware that great and bold minds are emerging”. To him it is all a matter of getting the right equipment to our shores and developing the skill set to harness them. So where does that leave him? What will The Graphic Chef be cooking up five years from now? “Breaking newer grounds in arts and designs. Actively contributing in restoring earth with my environmental conscious designs. Engaged with philanthropic commitments from the plenty God would have blessed me with.” You know, the norm. Watch this space.

Madiba. A Tribute: Graphite on Charcoal

For more on The Graphic Chef’s latest recipes visit:

Twitter: twitter.com/eveonstudio Instagram: eveon_val

Facebook page: facebook.com/eveonstudio

MOSES | The Crossroads.

Album Cover. Get your copy on Bandcamp

“I pride myself on innovation”. He said it in his usual tongue-in-cheek way. But this is just one of the things about MOSES that I found inspirational to begin with. This young Nigerian gospel rapper based in Manchester, UK saw off 2013 by releasing his debut album, The Crossroads.

The Crossroads is simply a musical manifestation of the artists life, his struggles and triumphs as a Christian; “Nothing too abstract or indie unfortunately”, he punctuates with humour. But for all its simplicity the album touches on scenarios that most Christians will understand or have experienced. From Questions where he samples a track of the same name by Nigerian artist Asa, to the title single Crossroads MOSES addresses real life Christian issues with humility and understanding.

When asked about his favourite track from the album MOSES replies “the truth is my favourite track changes pretty much like Manchester’s weather. At first it was Because Of Your Grace then it was Bar For The King then Questions and now it's New Dawn” I’m no expert but I guess this is what they call a labour of love: “The concept for The Crossroads was pretty much based on my life. I wanted it to be fully based on my life experiences and decisions”. I myself have struggled to find a favourite, fluctuating between all 10 tracks on the album as they shuffle on my MP3.

That might be the hardest part for us, but not for MOSES. For a young artist the work only begins after recording. “I had to then start promoting and letting people know about it.” Most international or well-known artists come complete with their own publicity team that take care of all the running around for them. All they have to do is sing. But for MOSES he also got the chance to flex his promotional muscles and sell himself: “It was all very fun though”.

Bold Renegades Never Back Down

After all his hard work no one would really call him out if he decided to get something out of it. But in typical MOSES fashion he blindsided us by making the album available for free on Bandcamp. “I made the project as an introduction to my music, for everyone to then be able to make a decision on how they feel about my music. So it didn't feel right charging for it.” He called his debut a free gift that he had intended to be free from the start. 

Although there are no other artists featured on the album MOSES was privileged to work with some inspirational people from the gospel genre. “I did have the pleasure of working with a good producer ‘big brother’ friend of mine Barry aka Arc Beats who you might have heard doing his thing on the new Levites3:12 track 'New Season New Day'. I also had another friend of mine Tim Gosden of CrossFya doing some post production work on it.” It seems this young man has his foot firmly in the door.

Now if you were hoping for an epiphany about the message of this album I hate to disappoint you. The final message is what you chose to take away from this musical sermon. For MOSES it was two of Christianity’s most popular mantras – grace and love. “I don't think I would have even been in a position to make the project without God's grace & love and that's the message I tried to instil in some way or another in the tracks”. Simple enough but powerful all the same.

Hard work pays off

What’s next for this young up and comer? Well the New Year brings new promise for all and MOSES is no exception. He became an associate artist with MJK & Crossfya in November 2013. What this means for his fans around the UK and Europe is a lot of events and a lot more of MOSES. For veteran fans that also means that Retro Days is about to be developed into an EP with Arc Beats so watch this space. He’ll be featuring on a few projects with established names on the gospel scene. “Finally a collective which I am part of called 'R.I.S.E' is going to be releasing a debut album this year so it's a very busy but exciting year ahead. Thank God.” Of course there are many other possibilities in the pipelines but you’ll just have to stick around to find out.

Find him!

For more some social media stalking you can find MOSES here: Twitter @imjustmoses and Facebook facebook.com/imjustmoses

For his work and more MOSES news find him here: Facebook Fan Page facebook.com/imjustmosesUK; Soundcloud Soundcloud.com/imjustmoses and YouTube Youtube.com/imjustmosesTV

For your digital copy of The Crossroads album visit his Bandcamp imjustmoses.bandcamp.com

For bookings and any queries, information etc. drop him an email on imjustmoses93@gmail.com.