Anthony Bila: The man behind the lens
By Lindelwa R 1. Let’s pretend you’re not the creative genius we’re interviewing, what would be the one thing you can’t live without? Well you’re very generous for saying that, I would have to disagree though, I’m no creative genius. One thing I can’t live without? I think we should all be able to live without material tethers or anchors, they in themselves can trap us into certain ways of thinking, so besides food, water & shelter, I can’t think of a single thing I can’t live without, really. 2. What’s the book you’ve read which changed your life? The book is one that took approximately 1,600 years to write. The book had 66 different writers over that time period who wrote from different vantage points, they were from different walks of life and different social classes and countries even. Yet, this book is flawless, infallible even in the way that it carries the secret to true enlightenment, happiness and understanding our purpose. That book, of course is one inspired by a higher power, it’s the most published book in history despite many attempts to thwart its proliferation, and this book is the Bible. 3. This next question is a becoming a cliché but, how do you think art can encourage a revolutionary way of thinking, in the youth specifically? I think art, the truest form of it questions all our beliefs, and it interrogates them. One should always ask “why?” And asking “why” isn’t a sign of anything except curiosity and wanting to be more enlightened and gaining understanding to me. So yes, if art is there to express an emotion, to question a system or even to subvert it, art is often a catalyst for change. And art can take so many various forms, music, writing, painting, even the way one lives their lives can be art, it’s everything and anything that is done with a certain finesse, a certain je ne sais quoi. 4. What do you think us youths need more of from ourselves? We need to be honest enough to say what we really feel, unafraid and brave enough to voice our thoughts about everything and driven enough to act. All to often we as young people we just don’t take enough initiative to change the status quo. South Africa has a 52% population under the age of 23, and that means we are the future but if we do not demand better representation and opportunities of the system and of ourselves, nothing will change. We have to be revolutionaries, and assert change to benefit us since we are the ones that the future...
The New Cool Kids
Mariam Mohamed Burn the beanies, discard the wayfarers, forget the hipsters. There’s a new group of cool kids on the block and they’ve got our attention. They’re young, they’re male, they’re impeccably dressed and they’re proudly African. They are the street style heroes, bloggers, photographers and other members of the most influential fash-pack. Often seen gracing street style platforms in their uber stylish ensembles these men like designer Laduma Ngxokolo along with bloggers and media personalities such as Trevor Stuurman, Jerri Mokgofe, Siyabonga Beyile, Anthony Bila Kabelo, Kungwane and Wanda Lephoto amongst others are talk of the town. These guys, all established in their own right, have encouraged a whole new cult of young Africans in the streets of our most popular cities , dressed to the T, reaching for the spotlight (or camera lens?). The result is a new found sense of pride in dress amongst young South Africans along with a need for establishment and creative expression. These young men have released the importance of nurturing their talents and carving their identities in the fields that they choose to find themselves in. Along with their aspirations for the future , the guys are always acknowledging the past , their lost icons and heritage, with great respect. Just a scroll through Instagram ,or stroll down the street, is enough to show you the power and growth of this new group with the number of members increasing daily. We can’t help but wonder if this is a start of a new , dominating subculture? Images: http://web.stagram.com/n/trevor_stuurman http://web.stagram.com/n/laduma http://web.stagram.com/n/wandalephoto ...
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