Agaba Solomon Peabo: A Visionary Photographer
“If possible I would want to teleport to a specific location.”
Agaba Solomon Peabo brings afrofuturism and photography togather to help us all dream a new and different Africa. Twenty-one years old and based in Kampala, Uganda, Peabo is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Architecture. He joins this AfroUrban Society curated artistic journey alongside other members of the 2020 Bakanal de Afrique Artist Fellowship Cohort. In Peabo’s interview, he shared some of the challenges presented by limitations of movement. He also shared his dreams, approach to his art, and things that inspire and grow his photography.
If there were no restrictions on how you move, how would you move?
As a photographer, I always want to be in a different environment at least every month or even week to capture moments in different cities. If possible I would want to teleport to a specific location.
If solely up to you, where would you be and why?
I have always wanted to start a new life in the UK so yes, I would want to be in the UK because I don’t see my dreams coming true in Uganda. I would want to work with British Vogue or other UK top magazines and have solo exhibitions there.
Who or what inspires your art/creativity?
The streets, you see life, pain, hustle, suffering , hard workers and beautiful colours of life.
How did you hone/cultivate yourself into the artist and genre you find yourself today?
I would call myself a dreamer or a visionary but well I am a photographer who juxtaposes elements of reality with surrealism using digital art and my photos.
How do the limits on how you move affect your ability to create?
I am always in the same environment and it doesn’t help me because I have exhausted most places and I need new photos in different environments. So I don’t create better work since people have the same feel of the same environment.
What do you do to grow as an artist?
Apart from sitting on my laptop for almost 16 hours a day, I watch tutorials on youtube, I listen to music and get inspired from different creatives around the world on instagram.
What makes your particular approach to your work stand out?
I am a self taught ambitious photographer and artist who has been creating for 1 year and a few months and my approach is bringing dreams into reality through my afrofuturism works to show a better Africa to the world. In other words my work is nestled between reality and dreams.
What hopes/expectations/desires do you have for the impact your work has on audiences/participants/viewers/consumers?
I want my work to give people the vision I have for a better Africa. We always dream for a better Africa, bringing that dream to reality through art and photography is what I want audiences to see and give them hope for that Africa they dream about.
Tell us about your favorite/preferred mode of transporting yourself around.
The boda boda is my favourite because it gets you wherever you want; wish one day it can fly too.
As you wait for the start of the festival, check out some of Peabo’s work.
Agaba Solomon Peabo is one of the core artists of Bakanal de Afrique, the premier global festival of Pan-African Urban culture, community and creatives; see their new work premiering Nov 6- Nov 30, 2020, exclusively on BakanalDeAfrique.com.