For the Culture
The Future of Art is Female
Photography is her art as it has allowed her creativity to grow because inspiration comes with a burst of imagination. The colour scheme of black and white is to keep the art free from distractions.
They say that “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” and indeed beauty can be captured and its essence turned into a form of art. This is exactly what upcoming Zimbabwean photographer “Aphlatus” has done. At the young age of eighteen she has managed to turn photography into a form of expression. Her alias: “Aphlatus” which a play on the word afflatus, meaning a divine creative impulse or imagination.
Determined to prove that photography is more than just taking pictures with a camera, she does not look at her muse as simply a person or an object; instead she sees beyond the surface. What had started out as hobby turned into a burning passion as she brings still images to life. Photography is her art as it has allowed her creativity to grow because inspiration comes with a burst of imagination. The colour scheme of black and white is to keep the art free from distractions. She feels that colour can sometimes block the viewer from the message that she is trying to portray.
One of her latest pieces, “Prisoner of My Age”, represents the pent up frustration over the struggles that she has faced as a young black woman. The piece shows how as a young black woman, she is victim to discrimination from society based on her age, gender and race. The message is to show how as much as feminism is on the rise; women often still miss out on several opportunities. She is her own muse in order to bring out her journey which most if not all black women will relate to.
She wishes to touch others with her art by promoting self-confidence and self-love. “Sometimes life gets so hectic and destructive that we forget to just take a moment to love ourselves freely. It is extremely important to do that otherwise you’ll lose yourself in the world”, she explains.
In a previous shoot, she explored the theme: “expression”. The aim of the shoot was to capture a range of emotions. The results expressed the rage that she felt due to the inequality that is present in the world which really troubles her. Aphlatus wants to show the injustice that is there in today’s society.
For future projects she plans to expand her portfolio by exploring different muses. She is determined to establish a wide variety which would be associated with her brand.
Connect with her on Instagram https://instagram.com/aph.latus?igshid=jkl40vd0xvah
