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

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW: War Reporter by Mohamed Amine Boukhris

There is a common misconception in journalism, one that I have had a problem with for as long as I have known of it. It is, to me, a very Western ideology, the belief that journalists in all walks of life should be passive observers simply relaying 'truth'. It is something that I would see changed.

Perhaps there was a time when this could have been the case. Perhaps there are still branches of journalism where passive reporting should be the go to method though I am unable (or maybe unwilling) to think of one such scenario. Whatever the case maybe, I think it is fair to say that front-line journalism really ought to be an exception to the rule. What we ought to realise as journalists and as citizens is that we are seeking the impossible. These aren't robots covering the stories for our pleasure and our viewing. These are people; they feel, they bleed, they die. And unfortunately as one of the reporters featured in the documentary put it, the only time they are noticed is in death. When reporters die, are kidnapped or injured in war zones they become an event all of their own. That in itself is interference. You cannot stick living, breathing people in the middle of a war and then say 'don't interfere'. What in heavens name do you think their very presence is? If you want a science experiment get lab rats. These are human lives.

To watch this documentary without feeling some kind of emotion is a challenge and I dare say an impossible one. It's easy enough to hop on Reporters Without Borders on your laptop and chant statistics about the death of journalists but this is real. Emotive and thought provoking as it was, I would highly recommend it for those who have the opportunity. Although it's focus is mainly in the Arab world (Northern Africa included), this is a global story.

For more information on the documentary visit the Dubai International Film Festival webpage or watch the Trailer on YouTube

IT IRKS ME WHEN....

So this post is about two things in particular that people do which just annoys the crazy out of me. I picked these two things because they seem to be a common theme around these parts; too many people here are guilty of them.

ANNOYING OCCURRENCE NUMBER 1.
People who live their lives repeating past mistakes like they're in some kind of time loop.

Why in the name of all that is sane and not in a straight jacket would you look at yourself and repeat the same mistakes over and over and over and...just stop. Please. Anywhere else in the world psychologists would have diagnosed you with some syndrome or disorder, because there is nothing normal in repeating yourself. What kind of selective memory loss deceives you into believing that it is perfectly OKIES to put your self in this situation? And what really trips me about these people is that later on they come to you like,

 "OH MY GOSH!! I can't believe I did that!! That was so stupid of me!!"

And they leave you with this impression that they finally understand what you spent the better part of a century explaining to them like it's theoretical physics or something. But just give them a few more days and they'll be back to their old ways. And you sit and watch their display of madness in total confusion, because frankly this can not be the definition of life.

Worse still are the ones who come seeking your advice, and then get angry and rude when you tell them the truth!! *sidenote* If you don't want MY advice then explain to me how you arrived at MY door. I don't dish it out willy-nilly but if you ask for the truth please don't expect anything but the truth.

Which leads me to point Numero 2...

ANNOYING OCCURRENCE NUMBER 2.
People who say one thing then turn around and do something entirely different.

I don't want to think of it as lies, go ahead and call me naive. I'd rather think of it as stupidity because I feel like your foolishness has a cure and there is still hope. But if you are actively telling lies when there is no need for it I have nothing to say to you.

I fail to understand why you would come to me to discuss something that I honestly have no interest in and then lie to me!! I didn't ask you. You chose to tell me yourself. So...why lie?? Because you know that what you're doing makes no sense, that's why.

If at the end of this post you're wondering what it is I really want, it is for people to stop letting other people's opinions of them (mine included) rule their lives. I feel like the reason why people act foolish a lot of the time is because they are under the impression that this is what the world expects from them. Screw the world and its many invalid opinions; what do you want?? I want people to know who they are, what they want and to stand by that belief until they have reason to do otherwise.

Of course, as always, I'm asking too much.

PS
Lianne La Havas is my new mini-music obsession. Find her on YouTube and kindly stalk her music. Gracias. 

“Do you want to be a burning star or a black hole?”

A simple question asked by the duo of Upper Echelon, and they seem to have answered it themselves. The up and coming musicians have apparently chosen the first option as they acquire an ever growing fan base from all parts of the world. So why are the boys trending?

There are two main reasons why any one likes a new song. The beat is either so amazing that you would tell your boss to shut up and move out of the way so you can bust a move, or the lyrics are so beautiful you would stop still and listen attentively to the phrasing of each word till the end of the song, after which you would replay it a few more times till you’ve practically memorised the lyrics and can recite them at will.

Before you listen to their music I have some advice for you. Stop thinking of UE as the two man hip hop duo that it is on the surface; instead think of them as a packaged journey and destination. The journey is in the memorable melodies and the honest, hard-hitting lyrics. Each song tells a story. It introduces the listener to a phase or aspect of life, both personal and universal, that has inspired their genius.

Reaching the destination that is UE means realising that their music is diverse yet seamless. It is the realisation that the magic you’re listening to is a merger of different musical styles with originality and contemporary charms. They manage, with great ease, to stay relevant while injecting styles as old as Motown into their innovative, lyrical pieces.

Their personal accounts of their family, grief, struggle and success makes it easy for listeners to relate to them. Their use of religious allegory in their lyrics makes them seem grounded despite their aspirations to be pioneers of their genre.

The boys are currently working on a mix tape called We Own The Sky. You can find songs from the mix tape on their Youtube page here: http://www.youtube.com/user/UeHiphop1

You can also find them on:

1. Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/uehiphop
2. Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/uehiphop
3. Twitter:http://twitter.com/#!/uehiphop

Happy exploring!!!!

On a Musical Note....

You know when you get those messages on YouTube where people send you videos?? More times than not they are awful disastrous covers by some delusional person. But on some very rare occasions you're actually approached by sane and talented people...like today!

I got a message from a rap duo from the states known as Upper Echelon. Now rap isn't usually my thing because it has kinda moved away from being lyrical poetry, to being an obscene measure of how much everyone owns and the guns they use to make others give them what they don't have yet. However they reminded me of why my brothers hid in their rooms and listened to Tupac's mix tapes.

Even as I struggle for the words to write this randomness, I am replaying their songs over and over again on YT. It's been a long time since I listened to any rap song and felt goosebumps rather than disgust.

This is a link to their YT page:

http://www.youtube.com/user/UeHiphop1

They also have a Facebook page just search for Upper Echelon.

I implore you to listen I promise you'll find something to relate to.

You Know I Loves You.