Page 50 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 3

study. In the end they will be more extraordinary. There is this extra
There seems to be a huge fulfilled if they are able to find ways that they have above the ordinary
competition between art to express themselves artistically.” human. This is what breaks my heart
She’s not an advocate for forcing because it’s not right that they suffer
and photography. In my
children to be what they are not trying to prove it. They need support
opinion, photography meant to be, “My first born son from ordinary humans,” laughs Bella.
seems to be taking the lead is not interested in art, so I don’t On Faith“ I pray this story will prove
globally. What do you think force him. I only forced him during that God is real. Do not limit God,
is the reason for this? the Art Camp,” she laughs, “but dare Him by pursuing what seems
“Photography is art, so there’s otherwise, I don’t force him. I impossible. If that’s His intention for
no competition. It uses the same believe that a lot of these young you, He shall see you through no
principles of composition, light people who are going around matter the circumstance.”
and shadow. It’s the same. Most slashing people in Bamburi, at
of the young people who walk least 25% of them, are artistic
in here and want to be taught in nature and are just frustrated
photography, most of them do it because they don’t have access
because it is ‘cool’. They want to a way to express it.”
to walk around with a camera on
their shoulder. And I can tell you, Any final words?
when you do something because it On Art “I keep saying this, artists
is ‘cool’, most people will drop off.” are not ordinary people. They are

Which do you prefer?
Photography or art?
Unless you’re talking about visual
art in which case I’d say, can I
have both? With photography you
can take a hundred photos and
choose one, but with visual art,
you are building up the frame and
it’s only one. So maybe visual art.

Her advice to parents
in Afrika and Afrikans
in general who may be
struggling to find what they
are really meant to do and
are currently engaged in
activities that do not fulfill?
“I am just like they were. Before I
started pursuing art deliberately,
I did some other things and I
struggled. I was happiest when I
was teaching art to children while
I worked at an NGO and when I
was distributing sanitary towels at
another NGO. But having to sit at
a desk, I struggled. That’s when I
was my most creative in my mind,
imagining what else I could be
doing. Even during my studies, I
would be reading and imagining a
project I could be working on. They
should make room for their children
to learn alongside those other
things they want their children to