a month ago
Co Creator: 
3
1
Posted On: June 22nd 2026, 09:55 am
Tagged Users:
A few months ago, I attended an Artifact Biography workshop facilitated by the Goethe-Institut (@goetheinstitut_nigeria ).
One of the ideas that stayed with me long after the workshop ended was that everyday objects can tell stories about the people, communities, values, and histories connected to them.
That experience sparked specific curiosity in me.
I’ve always been passionate about African storytelling and spotlighting stories that reflect who we are, challenge how we think, preserve memory, and ask meaningful questions about the world around us. I am constantly drawn to stories that feel rooted in our realities and speak to our experiences as Africans.
This is also the core of my current research series exploring some of those ideas through culture, history, material heritage, and storytelling with film and writing as my medium.
This research is informing Gourd of the Sky, my upcoming animated short film currently in development. While the film is animated, it is not a story created exclusively for children. Like many of the stories that have shaped me, it is intended for anyone willing to engage with questions of memory, responsibility, community, and what we choose to pass on.
Beyond the film, this work is gradually expanding into archival documentation, educational storytelling, and creative tools designed to engage both younger and older audiences in conversations about heritage and identity.
An excerpt from the accompanying write-up is available on LinkedIn and Medium for anyone interested in exploring the research in more depth.
What memories, stories, or experiences do you associate with a calabash? We must document or own stories.
“En Afrique, quand un vieillard meurt, c’est une bibliothèque qui brûle”
- Amadou Hampâté Bâ
https://medium.com/@nyvqgg/the-gourd-africas-vessel-of-memory-power-and-rain-b42637433f01
#GourdOfTheSky #AfricanAnimation #AfricanStorytelling #ResearchSeries #CulturalHeritage #MaterialCulture #AfricanStories #StoryDevelopment #AnimationFilm
One of the ideas that stayed with me long after the workshop ended was that everyday objects can tell stories about the people, communities, values, and histories connected to them.
That experience sparked specific curiosity in me.
I’ve always been passionate about African storytelling and spotlighting stories that reflect who we are, challenge how we think, preserve memory, and ask meaningful questions about the world around us. I am constantly drawn to stories that feel rooted in our realities and speak to our experiences as Africans.
This is also the core of my current research series exploring some of those ideas through culture, history, material heritage, and storytelling with film and writing as my medium.
This research is informing Gourd of the Sky, my upcoming animated short film currently in development. While the film is animated, it is not a story created exclusively for children. Like many of the stories that have shaped me, it is intended for anyone willing to engage with questions of memory, responsibility, community, and what we choose to pass on.
Beyond the film, this work is gradually expanding into archival documentation, educational storytelling, and creative tools designed to engage both younger and older audiences in conversations about heritage and identity.
An excerpt from the accompanying write-up is available on LinkedIn and Medium for anyone interested in exploring the research in more depth.
What memories, stories, or experiences do you associate with a calabash? We must document or own stories.
“En Afrique, quand un vieillard meurt, c’est une bibliothèque qui brûle”
- Amadou Hampâté Bâ
https://medium.com/@nyvqgg/the-gourd-africas-vessel-of-memory-power-and-rain-b42637433f01
#GourdOfTheSky #AfricanAnimation #AfricanStorytelling #ResearchSeries #CulturalHeritage #MaterialCulture #AfricanStories #StoryDevelopment #AnimationFilm
Comments (1)
a month agoshulamheart
This is interesting to have come by being a craft-based storyteller - a candle artist - who’s been working on a scented piece on the subject of limitations and identity, it’s themed “Akèrègbè (the gourd)” anchored by adages from my culture (Yoruba). I love to see this post on its African commonalities and symbolic interpretations. Before starting my work on it, I had to also demystify my beliefs on it to ground myself in its art and contemporary relevance.
More posts
