The Awakened Artist: Unmasking Africa’s Origin Story

As I sit in my studio, pencil in hand, watching the "Mother of Mankind" take shape layer by layer, I'm reminded of how art mirrors life...slow, deliberate and full of revelations that emerge only with time. This progress shot captures her midway through: the contours of her form are more defined now. The shading is building, casting subtle shadows that hint at the depth of our shared history, while faint outlines of migrating paths begin to weave across the globe in her grasp. I feel like it's not just a drawing anymore; it's now a living narrative at this point, evolving as I do on this Awakening journey. Each pencil detail feels like peeling back another layer of my own understanding, questioning where we come from and what binds us beyond the surface. The Cradle of Humanity In my previous reflection, I explored how Africa stands as the cradle of humanity, a truth that challenges the divisions we impose on one another today. As I continue this piece, that founda...

Work in progress... "We are all born from the same place—the source of all humanity. Differences are adaptations, not divisions." I’m happy to share a sneak peek of my latest piece in the Awakening Series. This pencil sketch, still in progress, is already pulsing with meaning. In this piece, a figure holds the Earth tenderly, with Africa facing forward. Why? Because Africa is the cradle of humanity, the root of our shared journey. This isn’t about Black or White, it’s about Human. Our skin, our features, our differences are adaptations to the lands we wandered, not walls between us. This drawing is my way of challenging the very foundation of racism, reminding us that we all sprouted from the same soil. The Inspiration Behind the Art The title Mother of Mankind carries a weighty truth: Africa is where humanity began. Science tells us our story started there, some 200,000–300,000 years ago. Early humans evolved dark, melanin-rich skin to shield against the intense equatorial ...