Is there one way to describe Azania Forest and her work ? -  Is this actually necessary to do so ? - The self taught photographer and mix media artist takes us on a unique trip to explore the diversity of her world. The South African artist is part of a vibrant generation of creatives who creates the magic by piling up inspirations, influences and identities. Navigating through her rich cultural heritage within a modern society, she explores the deep meaning of being a black woman and its stigmas but also the single representation of masculinity : strong, hard, violent sometimes.  An invitation to a vibrant and unapologetic vision starting with the name she has given herself : 

Azania FOREST : I went with this name because Azania is a Hebrew name meaning ‘God listens’, it is also a name that is used to refer to some portions of Southern Africa. I resonate with this name because I come from Southern Africa and I believe that I am guided by the God of my forefathers. This name reminds me of where I come from and where I am going. ‘Forest’ reinforces ‘Azania’ because a forest is home to many living creatures, it is not man made and it is filled with the wonders of life and nature. Azania Forest is a name that means surrounding to God because I am not in control, it reminds me of the people that got me here and the person I am constantly becoming.

M.A : Is it important for you to have an alias ?

A.F : Not necessarily, I love my legal name, but I also love the name that I have given myself. I embrace the name that my parents gave me, and I also embrace the name I have given myself. It was an empowering act, a moment where I validated the relationship I have with myself.

M.A : You have been exploring with photography but also painting, collage and more recently clothing, what is guiding you ?

A.F : I could say that I am multifaceted, I do feel that I have been endowed with the ability to express my thoughts through various mediums. I am an aspiring visual artist and trained fashion designer. I also work as a fashion stylist and photographer. I approach all of these fields with intuition. I always have a story to tell and sometimes the best way to tell it may be through fashion instead of painting, sometimes the story needs me to paint instead. Each medium serves a different story.

M.A : How confident have you been about taking this road ? 

A.F : I have always had an affinity for arts since childhood. I loved sounds, colours, shapes and scents. I have always been a more sensory person and I understand information through symbolism and figurative language. My confidence comes from understanding that this is how my brain works and art is my way of communication.

” Being a black woman is easy, but it becomes difficult because of the society we live in. Our experiences collectively are layered, complex and nuanced. I want us to be represented more, as humanely as possible.“

M.A : Whether it is collages, clothes, photographs, your work suggests lots of exploration and expression of identity, especially as a woman ? 

A.F : Yes it does. Being a black woman is easy, but it becomes difficult because of the society we live in. Our experiences collectively are layered, complex and nuanced. I want us to be represented more, as humanely as possible. I explore this identity because I want the lives of black women to be better, I want our voices to be heard and stories to be told.

M.A : What about the Mbona Lisa series and your series about the stigma of menstruate, what was your outlook on this ? 

A.F : Mbona Lisa is an ongoing body of work, however, I have decided to be slow with its process because I want to articulate her story in a substantial way. The Mbona Lisa series speaks to the parallels of black land ownership and black women having autonomy over their identities and bodies. Land is a resource that provides food and space for shelter, in the same breadth, women are mostly imposed with the task of mothering and housing children. Mbona Lisa wishes to question these imposed roles of womanhood and how women define themselves. Mbona Lisa also alludes to the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci, who was considered a ‘virtuous’ woman. It speaks to colonial impositions of what womanhood entails. 

Menstrual Purity (the series was created in 2017) speaks on the process of how an unfertilised egg dies, which leads to menstruation. It is illogical how bodies that menstruate, mostly women, have been made to carry the stigma of non-cleanliness whereas this a biological process that can symbolise the process of death and re-birth. There is an underlying power in understanding this process as a way of looking at life and seasons. There are seasons of release and seasons of intake, seasons of movement and rest. I wish to eventually sell the portraits and use the profits to help women and girls experiencing period poverty.

M.A : Is it still hard to be a woman ?

A.F : I don’t believe that it is hard to be a woman, it is the world that makes our living experiences hard. I want women to be proud of being who they are despite the external injustices, we are more than our struggles.

M.A : Still there is poetry in those shots, how would you define your style ? 

A.F : My style and artistic practice is inspired by my identity as an African and as a woman. I do photographic portraiture and I have recently gone into traditional art whilst maintaining portraiture. I want black people to document themselves and create archives for future generations because our history has mostly been manipulated and somewhat erased. My style is self-documentation and the construction of one’s identity.

M.A : …and this is not limited to womanhood. 

A.F : Soft Masculinity is inspired by the position of black men in South Africa, they are the biggest group of perpetrators regarding gender based violence and rape. In this work I wish to deconstruct how patriarchy is a double edged sword for men and how it essentially harms them in the greater scheme of things. Which is why I portrayed them in a way that is abstract from patriarchal behaviour – intimate and ‘soft’. I wish for them to do self introspection as to why vulnerability and intimacy amongst each other is viewed as a weakness. Soft Masculinity is a call for men to question internalised patriarchal behaviour and how that leads to misogyny. 

As she likes exploring diverse paths, Azania is also one half of Camagu Studio she founded with fellow artist and creative Lulama WOLF :

A.F : Camagu is a Xhosa word meaning ‘to honour’. Camagu Studio is a collaborative concept company founded by myself and Lulama Wolf. We are both visual creators and Camagu Studio is a space for us to explore our artistic practices. We wish to honour our heritage by archiving our cultural artefacts and documenting our present realities for future generations. We are aware of how fast and how Western the world is becoming, and our wish is to honour the people that brought us here and protect cultural practices that are rooted in the betterment of African people. 

M.A : Where is your head this days  ? 

A.F : I am currently working on a fashion collection for my clothing line Lesego Seoketsa; and in the design process. It is an exciting part of my life because I love fashion as a medium of self expression. My team and I are researching ways to make our products environmentally sustainable and long lasting. 

M.A : How have you been lately ? How has current global context affected you ?

A.F : The current pandemic is very difficult because I have to imagine different ways of working with people. As a photographer and stylist I now have to make sure that conditions are safe for working, and it causes anxiety because I don’t want anyone to be at risk. The lockdown has lead me to find new inspiration and different ways to create at home, which is why I have picked up painting. I am also shooting more self portraits in my backyard. Things have slowed down, however I cannot stop, I have no other choice but to continue working.

Interview by Mayi-Arts. All works are courtesy of Azania FOREST.