Nairobi's Alt Creative Beauty Through Thomas Seward's Lens: FOTA

My background in editorial coverage has led me to form different lines of inquiry into the possibility of stretching the genre past its original definition. And while it may seem that the general consensus is pretty much set in stone, taking static images of an idea and rendering it according to the element of an image that encompasses a brand or organisation's essence and philosophy, I sought to find such essence in the vision that Friends of the Artist seeks to convey.

Friends of the Artist, or FOTA, is a community-led initiative dedicated to 'uplifting, supporting, and creating opportunities for artists, designers, and other creatives', which, from my general understanding and observation of such initiative, has yielded promising returns for the creative community in Nairobi at large.

Led primarily by Franscine Machinda, a forward-thinking and logical individual in her own right, they have been able to curate everything from panel talks — often including the most revered voices of our time, such as tg.blk, Buruklyn Boyz, and Kaykhali, to name a few — all the way to social events that encourage community-led outreach, and galvanisation of subsequent dialogue into the emerging alternative scene in Nairobi at large.

When I left Nairobi a little over two years ago, the alternative aspect of Nairobi's cultural disposition was at grassroots level. Emerging, but not to the extent that it has evolved into; and I am nonetheless impressed with the progress made so far and the impact it has made on the community. I strove to embed that conscience into this part, as a natural reflection on the changes I have witnessed on my little screen, from the other side of the world. What would I be seeking to drive forward, then? In this instance, the main inquiry I made into such activity was on how to integrate an editorial aspect into these qualities, with the goal to drive through this greatly instilled sense of community, and the individual profiles (more specifically) that constitute such. Featuring a group of people, set against the backdrop of a typical residential setting in Kilimani, Nairobi, I endeared to cover the disposition of Nairobi's alternative scene from this angle, and offer a perspective into FOTA's take on style, individual expression, and their vision for the near future, going forward.