COLLAB SPOTLIGHT - NADINA ALI

This month we have collaborated with the artist Nadina Ali @nadinadidthis to work on a fundraising campaign around aiding those in Sudan. Proceeds from the campaign will be going to the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) to provide medical aid, medicine and supplies to Sudanese civilians caught in the fighting in Khartoum. Further reading below..

Nadina Ali @nadinadidthis

“Since 15th April 2023, ongoing tensions between the Sudanese Armed Forced (SAF) and paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) turned into a war which severely impacted Sudanese civilians. Over 500 Sudanese people have been killed, 4000+ people have been injured and 70 000+ people ( counting) have fled the country. The lack of international support and coverage means that humanitarian aid on the ground has been very scarce and evacuation efforts have been mostly handled by volunteers in the Sudanese community both in Sudan and online via social media.

This is because war in Africa has been normalised and people have become desensitised with the suffering of Black / Brown / Muslim people. All victims of war deserve empathy and shouldn’t be treated differently because of their skin colour, faith or country of origin. This campaign’s aim is to not only raise valuable funds for aid on the ground in Sudan, but also to raise awareness about the war in Sudan and show support to Sudanese people in a way that is visible.” - Nadina Ali @nadinadidthis

Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your creative journey?

Hey! My name is Nadina Ali and I’m a self-taught graphic artist based in South East London. I was born and raised in Marseille by East African immigrants from Comoros and came to the UK in 2005 to study Clothing Design at Manchester Metropolitan University. I developed an interest in graphic design and visual arts while at University but was pretty set on working in fashion after I graduated so that’s what I did for a few years. I used to work in product development and quality control which were very technical  areas of fashion so I used to utilise my spare time to engage in more creative pursuits. Around 2017, I really got into lettering and typography and started experimenting with that, doing personal projects and projects for friends to build up my skills. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I got made redundant from my day job in fashion and decided to focus on doing graphic arts full-time. And that’s what I’ve been doing since.My work is very much message driven which is why I chose to focus on typography as my creative medium. I’m passionate about social justice and representation and using bold and colourful typography has allowed me to address those topics in an impactful and easy to digest manner.  I started out doing mostly digital work and have gradually diversified my creative output to include billboards, murals and installations.  I’m a strong believer in making art and creativity accessible to all and also host creative workshops to facilitate this. Through my work, I aim to amplify the voices of underrepresented people as well as empowering everyone to speak up about things that matter to them. Everyone has a voice and should use it.

Where do you get your inspiration from for your creative work? And more specifically for this project?

My inspiration usually come from my own life experience and current events. I often talk about topics that people might not be aware of or might not have been engaging with because they don’t directly relate to them. The inspiration for my Peace For Sudan artwork came from the lack of visibility and coverage the war in Sudan has been receiving both on mainstream and social media. Since the conflict started mid April, over 500 Sudanese people have been killed, 4000+ people have been injured and 70 000+ people (counting) have fled the country and yet there has hardly been any support from the international community. This is because war in Africa has been normalised and people have become desensitized with the suffering of Black / Brown / Muslim people. This situation is a very important reminder that everyone deserve empathy and that all war victims should be treated the same regardless of their skin colour, faith or country of origin. Through my Peace For Sudan t-shirt, I not only wanted to raise awareness about what’s happening in Sudan but also bring a message of hope and support to Sudanese people who have shown incredible strength and resilience in the face of this humanitarian crisis.

Do you feel that you have faced any challenges navigating and progressing in the creative industry? Is there anything specific you would like to see change?

Definitely. As a Black Muslim creative from an immigrant working class background, I grew up not seeing people like me doing art and I held the belief that a career in the Arts wasn’t for someone like me for a very long time. This also means that once I finally entered the industry, I wasn’t equipped with the skills to navigate it neither did I have a network to tap into to help me progress within it.

I would love to see the creative industry become a lot more inclusive and ensure it is accessible to everyone regardless of their socio-economic background. For instance, a lot of us don’t have wealthy parents to rely on to financially support us and there is still a lot of creative opportunities out there that rely on either free or underpaid labour which can be a major barrier to access the industry.

Photo Credit - Nancy Singh, Nadina at the Migration Museum

‘United Workers’ Billboard for Black Outdoor Art in support of striking workers

And finally, are there any creatives, charities, or organisations you feel our followers would like to know about?

Creatives your followers should check out:

• Illustrator Erin Aniker / @erinaniker

• Illustrator Sakina Saïdi / @heyimsakina

• Illustrator Dorcas Magbadelo / @dorcascreates

Charities and organisations worth following and supporting:

• Migrateful - a charity running cookery classes led by refugees, asylum seekers and migrants and supporting them on their journey to integration & employment / @migratefuluk

• Inside Out Clothing Project - The UK's first clothing brand created, designed and hand produced by young ex-offenders / @insideoutpjt

• Sistah Space - a charity which supports women of African & Caribbean heritage affected by domestic & sexual abuse / @sistahspace_

Thanks so much for your time Nadina, it’s been a real pleasure! For further reading - nadinadidthis.com

You can shop Nadina’s campaign for Sudan - here

Rana Plaza by Nadina Did this

Never Forget Steven Lawrence by Nadina Did this