Fimi Genesis Artist, Kwame, is an African Diaspora storyteller. He started painting at age 5 and today his art is informed by oral history. Traditionally, folktales are passed down from generation to generation informally, usually around a campfire or doing mundane chores with the elders.
Kwame is a world traveler and throughout his travels, he discovers parts of himself as an artist and a human being. He recently found out that he is a descendent of the Maroons in Jamaica. The Maroons are descendants of slaves who escaped the plantations and waged an 80 -years’ war against the British. He says his uncle told him in a “by the way” manner. Armed with this knowledge, Kwame traveled to Jamaica and spent a few months on the island.
His NFT collection on Fimi NFT Marketplace, “Maji ya bluu” is Swahili for “blue water.” Kwame has created a story about a royal family embodied with divine powers from an etheric realm. This purple skinned family lives in harmony with their land and resources.
As part of Fimi’s Juneteenth launch party, Kwame did a live painting experience and a new member of the royal family was created, “Wenji.”
In this Stuntin’ episode, Kwame talks about the importance of art rooted in history for posterity’s sake.
