From the Balcony
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL: AFROPUNK FEST ’14
Havana, Cuba
A short time in Cuba, learning, connecting and returning home inspired. Be on the lookout for the full rundown on my recent visit and the work of a few dedicated and visionary artist-educators.
Washington, You Break My Heart
Washington breaks my heart
It breaks my heart with its beauty
It is heart breaking hard and is protected with pillows wrapped in solar panels and decorated with barbs
It holds my love
robes it in bicycle chains and forgets itselfForgets that it is stitching with cold and water and kisses.
Washington breaks my heart
when it won’t let itself be whole
when it cuts itself to pieces
when it loves itself
when it liberates itself
when it riddles itself with caves and hidden places
and broken ladders
-Njoli-
New Vision Philly with Haamza Edwards
Brothers and sisters, I can’t tell you how happy I am to feature my man Haamza Edwards in this edition of OnBlast! Haamza has been looking deep in Philly for quite a while so I’m so pleased that he’s decided to share some of his work and insights. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more as the years go on…
-Njoli-
Abundant in art of all kinds, Philadelphia is full of positive energy to fuel my passion of photography. Having a standard of how I want my pictures to turn out, they always instill the emotion I was capturing into the audience.
I started shooting with a camera phone and never imagined that I would receive so much praise for my pictures. Knowing that people enjoyed my work was more than enough inspiration to keep me going. At the time, I didn’t have a clear set method or style. If I recall correctly, I think my exact thoughts were, “Shoot anything that looks cool!” And it served me well…mostly. As time passed, I saw a pattern in my in my shots and I immediately felt like I accomplished something amazing. I then considered myself a photographer.
To this day, following the trail of street art with graffiti, dancing, music, martial arts, and even other photographers and videographers has given me a vast horizon of endless photos just waiting to be taken. Not much more to say other than, I love photography.
Play
Coffee
Job
Work
Exhaustion
Play
Play at work
Achievements
Social Networking
Into the bosses office
Play
A play at work
Cages
Cubes
Social Networking
Romance
No play at work
Late again
First draft
Into the bosses office
2nd chance
4th… 5th…
No play at work
-Njoli-
Catch the Flava
Inwood “market” on 207th
Subway Photog
A train, NYC
Wash Square Park: Note By Note
Black Boys in the Woods
They won’t let us
black boys in the woods
We might run too far
might get caught up in a tangle
might get somewhere no one can follow
We got bugaboos and injuns all kinda scary unknowns
Cabin life and familiar beatin’s be much better
Nowadays we don’t know why
But we know they don’t let us
black boys in the woods
Better kept safe without windows
We’re gon’ tunnel ’round under concrete
Officers can run their hands up and down my thighs
and love my brothers the same way
my cousins
my neighbors
my friends
Bridges might collapse
Roads might crumble
There’s no breathing
deep
the way fresh air requires
Big cats
Don’t know fir for Nike
catfish ’til it’s fried
Someone’s taken your land
Someone’s lengthened your legs
and shortened your reach
They won’t let us black boys
in the woods
We’ll refuse
to touch the soil again
-Njoli-
