This February, in honor of Black History Month, Tongal is highlighting the achievements of Black digital Creators you should keep an eye out for. These artists are not only breaking into new territory, they’re inspiring others to follow them. Meet our four amazing disruptors!
Andre Oshea
Image from Cyber News
Andre Oshea is a 3D artist from Atlanta, Georgia. Oshea, who describes himself as a world builder, started his creative career as a rapper; however, within the last few years, he’s reinvented himself. As a visual Creator, he’s interested in unlocking glimpses of the sublime. His work deals with themes like spirituality, transcendence, and the future. Not only has his 3D art been featured on Adult Swim and Netflix, but it’s also been sold at Christie’s auction house.
"I was designing album covers, Instagram Stories, promo graphics. That was how I got into digital art and then very quickly, within one or two months, I found motion design. I started playing with After Effects, and that was great because it added so much more dimension to the work. I was also able to charge more, so I would seek out motion design clients. A month after that, I found a client who wanted 3D work." - Andrea Oshea (Grammy.com).
His artistic philosophy speaks to the bravery it takes to be Creators.
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We agree with Andre! You’ve got to shake things up, challenge yourself daily to move away from your comfort zone, and ultimately avail your creativity of new tools, perspectives and mediums. When you venture into the unknown, you meet parts of yourself that you never knew were thirsting for the journeys you’re on. A wilderness is only a wilderness for so long; time and a commitment to exploration (not perfection) are key.
Video from Instagram
Emonee LaRussa
Image from BlockParty
Emonee LaRussa hails from Sacramento, California, where she began her creative journey as a teen making music videos for her friends before venturing into the world of visual effects creation. Over the past few years, Emonee has developed motion graphics for notable recording artists, including Kanye West, Lil Nas X, and Megan Thee Stallion. When's she not working with well-known musicians, Emonee is breaking down barriers to entry in the design field through the work of her nonprofit, JumpStart Designers.
"Back in the day, I remember I was in high school and my friend pirated Adobe After Effects for me on the school computer. And my mom, I was like, mom, I’m really into After Effects. I want a computer. And we went to go to Best Buy and she went to go buy me a laptop, a $300 little laptop, and her credit card declined. And we couldn't get it. We walked out of the store, and I felt so defeated… And it just makes me think how many other kids could be in this position where they don't have the accessibility and they don't have the access to a computer." - Emonee LaRussa (School of Motion)
Her ideas about creative and financial empowerment are shaping a new wave of Creators.
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Emonee knows the vibes! Many of us have benefited from having access to a mentor and can relate when others share memories of a supportive figure who intervened during formative years. All too often, many of us can also name a time when cost created a barrier, not merely to a hobby or career trajectory, but essentially to the feeling like a part of something that feels cool and unique. When you’ve got the opportunity to empower others with your skills or resources, seize it.
Video from Instagram
Latasha Alcindor
Image from Pancakes and Whiskey
Get to know Los Angeles-based musician and visual creator, Latasha Alcindor. In 2021, Latasha minted and sold her first NFT (of a music video she made) for nearly $51,000. Since then, she’s been teaching other artists how to monetize their creative production through web3 technology as the Head of Community at Zora, an NFT marketplace.
"I wanted to find a way to educate folk on just web three and get them all in one room, because I was getting so many DMS and emails about NFT's and web3, and what is it? And so I said, we should just do a webinar. And so we started these webinars out back in September, and they're every other Wednesday where I just onboard folks, I onboard about 50 to 100 artists, every webinar, and we first get them their wallets, we talk about what web3 is, show them how to mint." - Latasha Alcindor (TechCrunch)
She (and the cosmos) are rooting for artists!
Image from Twitter
In Latasha’s estimation, no one artist is winning unless we’re all winning. While opportunity within creative industries can sometimes feel scarce, the bigger goal is to grow a community of Creators who will push forward culture-shifting ideas, a community that is bonded by a love for creating.
Video from Instagram
Hippy Potter
Image from Medium
Thaddeus Coates, better known as Hippy Potter, is an illustrator living and working in Brooklyn, New York. His artistic direction is inspired by his favorite childhood cartoons, including Hey Arnold!, The Boondocks, and Static Shock. Subject-wise, Thaddeus's illustrations lean toward addressing the lack of representation of diverse characters in mainstream animated television and film, specifically the imbalance of relatable Black, queer characters. When Hippy Potter is not designing, he’s modeling. He’s appeared in ads and runway shows for Calvin Klein, Savage Fenty, and Nike.
“Put your name on it. That’s just so prevalent to me how easy it is for Black queer creatives or artists, just in general, to be lost in history. You don’t realize that they’re a part of the community until later on. All these amazing Black queer pioneers, we just wouldn’t know [they’re queer] because that’s an aspect that people often hide or overlook.” - Thaddeus Coates (IntoMore.com)
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There’s no shame in being your own biggest hype man. In fact, most Creators are accustomed to motivating themselves. Along with providing inspiration, the crowd-warmer within (yup, that’s you) should be ready to celebrate yourself as well. No matter how small the gain, make sure you give yourself the space to examine and enjoy the progress you’re making.
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