We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aniekanabasi Asanga a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Aniekanabasi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

We all know the feeling, the contrast between black and white, the first step on a long journey, the invisible force holding you down while keeping you up at night, frozen with indecision. This feeling is what inspired our most meaningful project yet. “Waka” (Walking)- A narrative on change.

Like this piece, “change” appears simple, straightforward, and black and white. Still, individually, we can all empathize with the elongated, risky, static debate that happens in our heads before we decide to take that first step.

“Waka” serves as a reminder to me and other owners of this piece that change is the only constant in life. So the next time you feel that crippling tension that goes by many names, Failure, Laziness, indecision, etc., remember that all it takes is the first step. The rest will be revealed as you walk.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sure! We are The Nok Narrative. A Nigerian-American art studio exploring the niche created when traditional Afro-ancestral spiritualism collides with the technology and conversations in today’s world.

Our name comes from a pre-historic culture in west Africa (now Nigeria) called “Nok.” They are famous for a lot, but we were particularly inspired by their ability to translate complex, universal topics into simplified, detailed forms that were easy to remember, therefore, great for storytelling.

Simply put, we sell original art pieces and stories that breathe life into them. We want to make art for those who find themselves between two worlds, the new and the old, creating more diversity in what is referred to as African art and allowing people to find themselves in our work. Self-expression and self-exploration generate more options for representation to eliminate the pressure one may feel to default to prefabricated stereotypes that no longer serve our best interests. We aim to inspire more artists and creatives to create fearlessly and unlock doors only they have the keys to.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yup! We aim to promote modern African art styles and change the narrative around African/ west African art to reflect a more diverse representation surrounding our creativity.

If you want to learn more about us or buy our prints, check out our website and Instagram, and let’s see where this journey takes us!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

There are a lot of discussions about what qualifies as art, especially abstract art. The term “non-creatives is a bit harsh as I think everyone can be creative; sadly, not many people explore it with an open mind. The simplicity of some of the pieces we create can sometimes be met with controversial arguments. But I like to think those are the most impactful ones. Simplicity is a lost art and much more challenging to accomplish than complexity. Less can be more when it comes to storytelling, and I urge “non-creatives” to empathize with this and place a bit more trust in artists. We all have a story to tell; sometimes, we need a whole book, and other times, a single sentence is more than enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thenoknarrative.com
• Instagram: @nok_narrative

Image Credits
Aniekanabasi Asanga