Award-winning photographer and visual artist, Akinmade Akinleye, popularly known as The Optimist, has launched an empowerment initiative, tagged ‘The Rebirth’, aimed at promoting art, supporting artists, and inspiring hope in African creatives.
Akinleye, founder of Optimistic Visuals, on Friday, through a communique to the press, stated that the motivation behind the initiative is to address the inequality and disenfranchisement in the creative industry through art, technology, and empowerment across the African continent.
According to him, The Rebirth is a bi-annual event comprising a conference and a workshop that offers mentorship programmes for participants.
“Through creative education, the initiative becomes a catalyst for growth in communities plagued by poverty, displacement, and lack of mentorship — especially, among orphans and vulnerable youth.
“The Rebirth exists to counter this by igniting the inner fire of young people and offering them the tools to rise above their circumstances,” he said.
At its heart, he added, the initiative celebrates resilience and the chance to shed limitations and embrace potential through art, storytelling, visual arts, makeup artistry, digital media, and more.
He further added that it also exists to foster artistic expression and connect young creatives with mentors across the African creative industry.
“I am committed to pushing the boundaries of creativity by embracing the evolution of art through AI, blending human emotion with technological innovations that resonate, provoke thought, and connect with audiences on a profound level,” he stated.
He further stated that the deployment of AI in the initiative will facilitate new approaches to narratives, photography, and visual artistry, enhancing images for a sustainable and more profitable creative ecosystem.
Akinleye said The Rebirth is set to kick off in Nigeria, with future events planned across Africa.
He stated that for the initiative to be sustained, strategic sponsorship and partnership by African brands, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), corporate bodies, and individuals are needed.
“Together, let us shape a future where art not only reflects life but transforms it,” he concluded.
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