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Malik Afegbua: Glamourising Seniors, Reinventing Cultures

By Chinelo Eze
19 February 2023   |   11:00 am
Malik Afegbua is the face behind slickcity, and most recently, the brain behind the captivating AI-inspired fashion show for seniors leaving many in awe, as it continuously makes a significant impression in glamourising old age. Speaking to Guardian Life, Afugbua talks about viewing the world through lenses a.nd strives for intentional storytelling as the foundation…

Malik Malik Afegbua

Malik Afegbua is the face behind slickcity, and most recently, the brain behind the captivating AI-inspired fashion show for seniors leaving many in awe, as it continuously makes a significant impression in glamourising old age. Speaking to Guardian Life, Afugbua talks about viewing the world through lenses a.nd strives for intentional storytelling as the foundation of his art.

Being a filmmaker and an AI creator, how are you able to marry both worlds together? Do they inform each other independently?

For me, everything is connected because the backbone of everything I create is intentional storytelling and I like to use any creative form of expression that speaks to that point in time, I am always looking for many different ways to express myself because innovatively I always tend to find and try new tech

What are your thoughts about AI taking into cognisance of the debate on the ethical use of AI?
I think like any other tool, AI could either be used ethically or not, and that actually depends on the user. If you use it to create art that is stealing from others, then that’s unethical, but what if you use it to create something entirely new or imaginative or maybe use it to enhance your current workflow?

What will you say defines your form of expression?
Intentional storytelling is what guides my form of expression,

Let us into the creative process of your works. Looking at your collections, what inspired the fashion show for seniors, and did you expect the reception so far?
Still, on the line of intentional storytelling, the show speaks for the marginalised, exploring what could be and the possibilities of inclusion that could help in one way or the other.

What has been your experience as a Nigerian filmmaker?
For me, everything is connected one way or the other either by the story or the approach. I always like to find ways to combine these various mediums and a perfect example is the Ngochola tribe, imagine being able to see what the film will look like before production.

At what point does your filming career influence your creative perspective? Or has the imitation of film production influenced the kind of art you produce with AI?
I have been mainly in the TV commercial and documentary world. But look out for some films and series from us.

Following your works and interviews, you have a proclivity for either a wiped-out society, a dystopian one, or a futuristic one like the Ngochola people. What is your interest in ancient history and culture?

The Ngochola people are a group of people from an intelligent race in Ancient Africa or Alkebulan in this case; they were an ancient civilisation with futuristic technology that broke boundaries. Even though the work is fiction, the story has many different intentional meanings and innuendos that connect to our current world. I believe history holds the answers to the questions we all have asked about where we are now and where we are going. This is why I am embarking on a journey to recreate and re-imagine lost historical sites and cultures in Africa, using virtual reality.

Is any new series/work to be expected soon? And how do you think this will help the growth and understanding of humanity?
Series of exhibitions, shows, some work on Netflix like Made by design seasons 2 & 3, and others. So much to look out for.

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