"I Love Drawing": Nigeria's Super-talented Cultural Illustrator, Afrojuicy Speaks on Her Creativity
While scrolling through your social media pages, you may have come across beautifully illustrated cultural landscapes and people reminding you of your Nigerian roots. Such paintings may be of an Igbo bride with a tray of kola nuts during her Igba Nkwu or of a village setting with women cooking at the fireplace or men playing traditional games.
You may have also noticed that such nerve-calming artworks bear imprints such as 'juujugirl or afrojuicy'. But you may not know who is behind such soothing artworks that have put many Nigerians in the traditional mood. You may have searched to know the profile of the artist doing such amazing paintings.
Source: UGC
YEN.com.gh also wanted to know the talented artist who has become popular on social media. Her real name is Juliet Godwin, and she is popularly known as 'juujugirl or afrojuicy'.
How Juliet makes her paintings
In an interview with YEN.com.gh, Juliet said her works seek to speak to her culture. When asked how she manages to craft the beautiful paintings that people like to view, she said it comes from her imagination. Her words:
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"My name is Juliet Godwin, known on social media as juujugirl or afrojuicy. I am a digital illustrator and visual storyteller. I create them from imagination. Basically, I am an imaginative person; therefore, my art is used to express the state of my mind, my current thinking and my perception of how the world should be. I enjoy bringing my imagination to life; it gives me a sense of happiness and fulfilment."
How Juliet's work is different from others
Juliet's works depart from what many people are accustomed to online as she seeks to take people back to their roots. She does not draw inspiration from Western culture but instead digs into her own tradition.
She speaks on this:
"Going through the internet, I found that there are not many digital illustrations that speak to me as a Nigerian or African. They are mostly foreign illustrations of various races - and the ones I do come across every now and then don't really give off the "slice of life" vibe. Most of the African illustrations I see do not represent me. It mostly depicts suffering, scars, poverty, jungle and poor environment."
Juliet aims to change the narrative
Juliet said that her aim is to show beautiful things about the African culture and also to preserve it for future generations.
She said:
"I always aim to show another side of life that people like me can relate with, a depiction of the positive part of my people and culture - the beautiful and unique African style. I also want to use my art to preserve historical information for future generations; this way, they can understand how life was during their ancestor's time."
Juliet learnt from mentors and also is self-taught
When asked about her educational background, Juliet said she does not have much higher education. The skills she has were mostly learned online and through her tech mentors, as she uses computers to create her drawings.
Her words:
"I have a diploma in Multimedia and Animation from Arena Multimedia - Aptech Computer Education. I don't have any higher diploma; most tech jobs don't require that too."
How Juliet makes money from what she does
YEN.com.ghwanted to know if Juliet is able to make money with her beautiful artworks that have fascinated many people, she answered in the affirmative.
She said:
"Yes, I make my artwork available in "print and framed" versions - on order basis. This means that anyone shopping for my artwork has the option to purchase a reproduction of my original artwork in a high-quality printed format that is ready to hang or display."
The works of artists like Juliet are capable of inspiring cultural change. Already, many social media users know and love her works. Juliet is from Enugu state.
Talented street artist produces a quick sketch of bus conductor
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that a bus driver was pleased when a man who was an artist swiftly created a drawing of him on white paper.
The artist chose to rapidly sketch the conductor while he was a passenger on the commercial bus.
After watching the video, TikTok's viewers compliment the artist, and some have even asked him to draw them.
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Source: Legit.ng
David Otu-Aboagye David is a journalist with three years of experience in creating entertainment articles. He attended Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and graduated in 2021. His journalism journey started at Opera News as a writer/editor, from where he left to join YEN.com.gh in 2023. Reach out to him via: david.otu-aboagye@yen.com.gh
Audrey Gyamfi (Copy Editor) Audrey Gyamfi is a copy editor at YEN. She graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a degree in Psychology and English. Audrey previously worked for 7 years as a copy editor for Kwadwoan publishing. She can be reached at audrey.gyamfi@yen.com.gh.
