THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF LULAMA WOLF

Lulama Wolf first came onto my radar as one of the coolest creatives who stood out on social media, specifically Instagram, when it started gaining attention in Africa. Her content seemed effortlessly put together, and her minimalist style, mainly consisting of streamlined shapes and neutral colours, was timeless. Over the years, I’ve grown familiar with her work as a visual artist and respect her for it. The local and international art scene considers her a Pan-African artist inspired by Africans and our heritage. She captures the theme of this issue perfectly.

-  NONTANDO MPOSO

G: Was there a specific moment or event in your childhood that shaped who you are today?

Lulama Wolf: My earliest memory is of a painted ceramic plate I made in preschool. I gave it to my father, and he still uses it to this day.

G: Was there a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as an artist?

LW: I grew into it, so there was a pivotal moment in every year, each transition. I found things I wanted to know about myself and where I come from, and art was my way of expressing that.

G: On the cover and in the cover story, you’re wearing the sustainable lemlem x H&M collection by Ethiopian model Liya Kebede. How important is conscious fashion to you? And what do you think is the role of retailers such as H&M in preserving the environment?

LW: In my opinion, consciousness is the direction the industry seems to be taking because it teaches accessibility through better consumer values. The bonus of being responsible in fashion would be to offer the same respect and consistency we do to clothes to artisans, allowing them ownership of their creative license and ideas.

The lemlem x H&M collection is a collaboration moving in the right direction by highlighting those objectives. It allows African artisans to explore resorts from their perspective and further offer everyday consumers accessibility.