54 #12/#13 - Identity/Art

54 #12/#13 - Identity/Art

In issue #12, we explore identity as something fluid, layered, and deeply rooted… a force that travels far beyond the borders of the African continent. Our lens turns to the Siddi tribe in India, a community whose ancestors left Africa centuries ago, yet whose features, spirit, and familiar mannerisms still echo the continent’s heartbeat. They look unmistakably African, yet sound fully Indian, embodying a duality that beautifully illustrates how identity evolves while still holding its essence. Their story shows that identity is carried not only in language or place, but in the body, in inherited ways of being, and in the quiet traits that endure through generations. Through the Siddi, this issue reflects on belonging, heritage, and the unexpected places where we recognise ourselves. Their presence is a reminder that Africa lives far beyond the map, carried with grace, pride, and continuity in its people across the world.

In issue #13, we embrace the truth that Africa is a living masterpiece. A place where creativity flows as naturally as breath, carried in colour, movement, spirit, and the everyday rituals that shape life across the continent. We look to Ghana as the radiant centre of this expression, a country where art is not an occasional act but a joyful, continuous tempo. It rises in the warmth of its people, the poetry of its textiles, the pulse of its music, and the ancestral stories held in its traditions. Ghana reminds us that African artistry is not solely crafted; but it is inherited, celebrated, and carried forward with unmistakable pride. To honour this spirit, we introduce a lovingly commissioned painting that captures Africa’s soul with grace and depth (Africa is young at heart; vibrant, curious, and endlessly creative, yet each day it grows more aware of its own strength, its beauty, and the vast potential it carries within), a testament to the continent as both muse and maker. Through this artwork and the issue, we reflect on how Africa continues to shape the world through its vision, its heritage, and its timeless gift of transforming life itself into art.

About 54:

A mecca of African culture. From cover to cover—every story we produce and page we print is aimed at preserving African culture, uplifting her creators, and sharing her untold truths with readers around the globe. Replacing sweeping, stale narratives. For far too long, a one-dimensional story defined by only poverty-stricken villages and tourist safaris—has dominated the narrative surrounding Africa. While African artists influenced the world for centuries over—their fashions emulated on European runways, their art pillaged by colonialists, their original melodies and beats set as the background to English lyrics on American albums—the world knew little of the setting that shaped so much of its own everyday experiences. At best, Africa’s creations have inspired. At worst, they have been seized without citing.