INTERVIEW tutorials . I was lucky because my older brother had a MacBook at the time that I could use to edit and try things out .
Also , in all honesty , the arts industry is very difficult at the start . When you have no good references or reputation and very few people know who you are , it is hard for clients to trust you . Hence why most people work for an organisation while building their reputation and portfolio .
In the case of minorities , the process can be even more challenging . Very few people are open to supporting minorities when they are starting and even then , we need to prove ourselves more to be taken seriously .
Our access to opportunities that help us progress is reduced , therefore we must work amongst ourselves through collaboration because in most cases , when approaching people , there is a bias attached to being black or a person of colour . Some people look at you with a degree of scepticism .
What inspired you to start Foolish Professionals ?
This is something that happened naturally with my good friend Anarfi . I think we met five years ago when he reached out to me on Instagram and said he wanted to meet for a coffee because he liked my work .
The day after our coffee , he messaged me and said he had work . He was shooting a music video and he wanted me to join him . I was excited and decided to join , because why not ?
We shot the music video and it turned out to be a successful project . We decide to become a duo and think of a name because of how well we worked together . Anarfi thought of using a Wu-Tang generator and we got Foolish Professionals .
We both fell in love with the name Foolish Professional and decided to run with it .
Fun fact : that is how Donald Glover got the name Childish Gambino , so my advice is that if you need a creative name , try that .
What is the biggest challenge you face being a visual artist ?
I think the biggest challenge so far as a visual artist is thinking your work is good enough . Because when you consider how fast the world and technology are moving , and when I observe what other creators around the world are doing , imposter syndrome sometimes kicks in .
Photographs courtesy of the artist , E . Greaves
What is your proudest project so far ?
I would say the recent New Balance Japan blackout campaign . It is my first solo international campaign . Seeing my work featured in Japan made me feel accomplished and proud when considering how far I have come .
What challenges have you faced as a black artist in the business and how did you address them ?
The biggest challenge I would say is the lack of opportunity due to industry bias . This could simply be a situation where black artists are paid less than their white counterparts .
Sometimes , it could be a case where a client chooses to work with someone from a majority because they feel more comfortable with them . One thing I would say is : let your work speak for you .
I keep my head down and work despite the obstacles . I must acknowledge it can be very disheartening as a freelance worker when
you miss out on an opportunity because of your background .
Hence why I started my own company : here , I can work and give a voice to the minority . I can be at the forefront of the visual art industry where I break barriers and prove that even black artists can be professional and that their work has value .
The best advice I can share is networking is not enough , but reputation is . You can go further by producing great work , being professional and supporting one another . I ’ m sure Jean-Michel Basquiat did not reach a networth of 100 million dollars by networking , but instead by created great work .
I ’ m inspired when I see black visual artists scale and minority visual artists get opportunities to collaborate and produce amazing work . In the case of equal pay , I would like to be paid based on my work and not my ethnicity because I create something of value .
Interview by Eric Mulumba Michael
ISSUE 5 SLEUTH 09