Nataal Magazine, Issue 1 (Cover 1)

Nataal’s debut print magazine captures the creative energy of Africa and its diaspora.

“This is a magazine for anyone who wants to engage with, be inspired by or learn about the abundant energy coming from visual arts, fashion and cultural communities inspired by the spirit of Africa,” says Helen Jennings, the editorial director of Nataal. Established as a digital platform in 2015 and growing to include exhibitions and now its debut print magazine, the Afrocentric showcase champions the artists who are shaping new global narratives around the continent, via fashion shoots, long-form writing and visual essays.

Packed with some of the continent’s most inspiring voices, the magazine presents visual explorations of some of the most pressing ideas resonating across Africa, including Afrofuturism, a desire to create new identities and strong ideas around representation.

In this issue:
The debut issue features an enviable list of contributors, from musicians Young Fathers and Petite Noir and artist Yinka Shonibare to a whole host of ground-breaking photographers including Viviane Sassen, Kyle Weeks, Adama Jalloh, Kadara Enyeasi, Lakin Ogunbanwo and Rudi Geyser.

The magazine also features a back section dedicated to an all-female line-up from New African Photography III, the third showcase of emerging talent that Nataal has co-curated at Red Hook Labs in Brooklyn. In there you’ll find projects from Fatoumata Diabaté, Alice Mann, Ronan McKenzie, Ruth Ossai and many more.

Launching with two covers, the first is a soft, warm portrait of New York-based Senegalese model Mame Thiane Camera shot by photographer Julia Noni on a trip back to Dakar and styled by Naomi Miller.  Quite different in attitude, the alternative cover was conceived by hair artist Cyndia Harvey and features musicians Jay Jay, Olabasi, La Timpa and Klein styled (by Nell Kalonji) as afropunks. It was shot by photographer Kristin-Lee Moolman.