'We Exist!': Black culture and telling our own stories with Andrew Kiwanuka

For the uninitiated, zines are part of Do it Yourself culture (DIY) that allow individuals or collectives to self- publish without limitations on content, and therefore create a space for new perspectives and voices.  Andrew Kiwanuka’s maiden zine We Exist!  is eight pages long, with varying images in black and white from Supermalt, to boom boxes; readers are forced to determine their own conclusions. I caught up with him to find out what inspired him to create, We Exist!

KATASI .E. KIRONDE: What made you decide to create a zine?

ANDREW KIWANUKA: I felt that I needed to create a vehicle in which to express myself and my own experiences. The mainstream media in this country does not care about representing minorities unless it’s in a stereotypical manner.  We are the best people to tell our own stories.

KIRONDE: What role do you think art plays in storytelling?

Art is extremely important in telling stories. It can capture a particular point in history and convey it in a manner in which is accessible and relatable. An artist that does this so well for me is Emory Douglas. His work has been a huge influence and made we realise the importance of how art can be used in the fight against oppression. His artwork for the Black Panther Party newspaper is some of most beautiful and powerful I have ever seen.

KIRONDE: Can you tell me what sort of feedback you’ve received from purchasers/readers?

KIWANUKA:  It’s been really positive; people have connected with the artwork, which is what I was aiming for. This is the first zine that I have sold and like with any creative project you are a little apprehensive as to how well it be received. This has been my most personal piece of work to date and it’s amazing when people acknowledge what you are trying to do and like it for what it is. The goal was to find my voice as an artist and I think I achieved that.

KIRONDE:  I noticed that a lot of your political references in the zine are largely from Black American culture, could you tell me why that is? Or if that’s an accurate observation? There’s nothing quintessentially Black British with the exception of Supermalt, why is that? And how does that speak to your experience? Do you drink Supermalt? Lol

KIWANUKA: Good Question! Black American politics was a huge influence when I was growing up. It has helped to shape many of my own personal political views. I reference Malcolm X and Eric Garner in the zine because of the impact they have had on me as a Black man.  The importance of Malcolm X transcends Black American culture. He is such an iconic Black political leader you cannot help but be influenced by him. The killing of Eric Garner by a New York police officer changed me forever. That was a real turning point; social media brought it straight to you, front and centre. It laid bare the stark truth that Black lives really do not matter. That kind of police brutality is not just confined to the states there are examples of that happening here also, for example Sarah Reed and Sheku Bayoh come to mind.

I wanted to reference things that I grew up with, Super Malt brings back a lot of nostalgia for me as it was a drink I drank along with many of my friends. It represents an important part of growing up in East London and reminds me of home. It’s still something I drink today.

KIRONDE: There’s a boom box in the zine, which really grabbed my attention.  Because I swear there’s been a resurgence of this sort of thing with young people on trains in London just playing their music loudly or cyclists attaching mini boom boxes to their bikes. Or more so this one man I see on the central line on weekends pumping the music on the platform at Oxford Circus and the train. What inspired you to include that in the zine?

KIWANUKA: Hahahaha, yeah the boombox! I had a boombox when I was growing up, I used to record radio shows on it, like the Tim Westwood rap show on Radio 1, showing my age now! Or play mix tapes passed on from friends. It really symbolises my love of music and in particular Hip Hop as that what I was into in a big way in my early teens. Still a Hip Hop head at heart. It’s kind of cool that we are now seeing resurgence in them. 

KIRONDE: There are so many objects that symbolise black culture, how did you decide on what to use?

KIWANUKA: I had a sketchbook full of ideas before starting which really helped me. It was then a case of selecting the strongest images for the zine. I wanted to cover quite a few topics in a short frame work of eight pages. I wanted to touch on social and political issues and have these images juxtaposed against each other. Not in a way that would demean what I was trying to say but show the range of my own Black experience.

KIRONDE: On the idea of seeing ourselves, in the media and surroundings how would you describe the position of the Black British experience in popular culture in the UK? From childhood to present the day?

KIWANUKA: This is a really interesting question, when I was growing up the only Black British references I had were Desmond’s and The Real McCoy. And maybe the odd Black character in EastEnders, that was pretty much it. Fast forward to now, and yes Black representation has increased but at a cost. The Black British experience is constantly exploited but very rarely benefits the Black community. What really frustrates and angers me is when all the hard work is done by us, but we are quickly erased to make something more palatable for a mainstream audience. It is recurring theme and is one of the reason’s I really love the DIY ethos of zine making. You are in total control of the narrative.

KIRONDE: The zine is minimalist, but for more literal audience members, what’s your call to action? 

KIWANUKA: My call to action is one of empowerment, we need to empower ourselves as much as we can. That means educating ourselves on our history, supporting each other, giving platforms to those within the Black community who might not be otherwise heard, to be proud who we are and our achievements. The next couple of years I believe are going to be really difficult for the Black community in this country, the Windrush scandal was only the start so we need to be united more than ever.

On being a creative...

KIRONDE: What’s it like being a black creative?

KIWANUKA: Tough! Very tough! There is a real lack of opportunities for Black creatives, particularly in illustration.  The lack of diversity is extremely depressing and is one of the reasons I create my own work. It’s the only way I can get my artwork out there.

I work a full time job in order to support myself as I am not in a position just yet to go full time as an illustrator. But I aiming to make illustration my full time career and striving very hard towards this goal. I think my family wanted me to go down the traditional route  but I am very strong willed and I know this is what I want to do long term and it’s what I am good at and most importantly makes me happy.

KIRONDE: What tips do you have for aspiring creatives or young people wanting to transition into the field?

KIWANUKA: Enjoy what you do first and foremost, read as much you can. Listening is vital, take the advice of those who have experience, surround yourself with likeminded knowledgeable people. Practise your craft every day. Keep a notebook or sketchbook on you at all times. Jot down any ideas no matter how silly there are as they may become useful at a later date. Create, create and create, don’t be discourage if people initially ignore you, keep going, eventually people will start to notice of you. 

On being Ugandan and life up north...

KIRONDE: What was it like growing up in East London? As a second generation Ugandan?

Growing up in East London as a second generation Ugandan was a great learning curve. Trying to navigate two worlds was difficult at times. I loved the rich diversity of the area, it was very much a working class area at the time, which I know has changed a lot now due to gentrification. I went to a predominately Black all boys Catholic secondary school, so I was never far from people who looked like me. I grew up in time when having an African surname was tough as no one could pronounce it correctly and I think I had a feeling for a little while growing up of feeling inferior to everyone because of my Ugandan  heritage. I think this was down to the negative stereotypes of Africa and African people in the media. I have to stress that I am extremely proud of my Ugandan heritage today. East London is a place that I miss in many ways since moving away.

KIRONDE What’s your relationship to Uganda? How often do you go back, if at all? 

KIWANUKA: My personal relationship with Uganda unfortunately is distant. This is something I am hoping to remedy. I have never been which I am really sad about. I have plenty of family who live there still and I am kept up to date on how they are doing. I want to plan a trip in the near future, I think it will be a life changing and creatively would be so inspiring. Growing up I could understand bits of Luganda but could not speak if fluently.  This is something I hope to rectify. 

KIRONDE: You live in Edinburgh now, how does that compare to London? Where do you get your African food supplies from? Your hair cut? Are these tricky things to find?  

KIWANUKA:  Edinburgh is a nice city to live and work in, it’s not as diverse as London, which is what I miss most. You can find African food suppliers here, not many but there are a few. Glasgow has more of a black community so you can food suppliers and barbers there much easier. As for a trim, I am rocking an Afro these days, so I have not had a trim for a while, lol. But you can get a decent cut; you just need to look very hard. That’s one of other things I miss most about London, Black barbers.

Get your copy of We Exist here and you can follow Andrew on Instagram  @akiwanukaphotos1977

Interview by Katasi .E. Kironde for Elevate 256.