“Unbox”, Agbowó‘s new project, is their subset with an active goal of bringing readers into the framework of African artists, excavating their philosophies, methodologies, influences and secrets to the end of further appreciation of their craft, humanization of their person, and inspiration for those that will follow behind them.
No one’s story is the same, but artists often have things in common: submitting to inspiration, attention to muses, listening to those who have gone before, the stories asking to be told, and their hearts.
As Agbowó launches “Unbox”, they start with a sub-series “Unbox: Emerging Voices”.
For this series, they unbox the work and writing life of some of the women from Agbowó’s latest Woman’s Issue with special attention to the work published with them. They unbox their craft, discussing themes, characters or messages.
In this feature, they delve in to the creative process of Ọrẹolúwa Oyinlọlá, Margaret Muthee, Tryphena Yeboah, and Tega Ethan.
It’s the magazine’s honour to connect with these artists, emerging or established: and to get a sneak peak into their processes, procedures through the lens of their works, getting to know these writers outside of their stories but because of them.
If you’re an artist, you will resonate with some of the things they share, be inspired to ask yourself questions about your journey and relationship with your craft (artist self-awareness goes a long way), and will gain tips on how to move in this art demanding world. If you’re not an artist (or think you’re not), you’ll find that excellence and growth take work, and that passion is often an important fuel for whatever we pursue.
Agbowó, the literary journal, was an off-shoot of the UITES WRITE collective and started in July 2017. UITES WRITE, founded by Habeeb Kolade and Dolapo Amusat in 2015, was a platform to showcase literary work by University of Ibadan students and alumni. The collective published electronic anthologies – the UITES WRITE Anthology and OCTOBER STORIES – featuring prose and fiction, and received numerous plaudits and a Student Initiative of the Year commendation by the Student’s Union. The goal, with UITES WRITE, was to create a community of past and present University of Ibadan students using art as a tool.
Agbowó thanks interviewees for unboxing and asks the reader to sit back and unbox with them.
Read the insightful interviews here.
Bongiwe T. Maphosa
Bongiwe Maphosa is a budding author with a passion for storytelling. With her thought-provoking narratives, she takes her readers on a literary adventure. Bongiwe's works on the human condition from a fresh perspective have earned her recognition and publications in the Avbob Poetry Anthology of 2019, The Writer's Club of South Africa 2021, and JAY Lit in 2021. She hopes to cement her place in the literary community.
