Today we’d like to introduce you to Makumbi Muleba.
Makumbi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Throughout my journey, I have always maintained a high level of curiosity which has enabled me to be a storyteller through art and design. I am from Zambia and it’s an environment that hasn’t yet fully embraced a creative career pursuit. I recall my early attempts at building a creative career in high school, I had formed my own dance crew called Cyber Graffiti, which was a creative collective at the time. Through that platform, we performed at school variety shows and I also would design graphic tees to sale at the mall/school and album covers for other artists.
In Fall 2015, I traveled to the U.S (Atlanta) to pursue a degree at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) which was my way of disrupting the status quo of what I experienced back in Zambia. Seven years later, I now hold a BFA in Branded Entertainment, MFA Advertising and an immersed amount of industry experience. I have had the privilege of working with Dj Drama’s Generation Now/Atlantic Records, Steve Stoute’s UnitedMasters and many world-renowned industry thought leaders and luminaries.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey has always been accompanied by the inherent face of adversity. But the question I often ask myself is how willing am I to make my crazy dreams live actions? One of the struggles I would say is at the forefront of my journey right now is my F-1 Student visa status. I don’t see it as a negative but as an opportunity to purposefully utilize my time in the U.S and use the skills I’ve gained to create and cultivate a system that can educate the potential talent in Zambia about the mechanics involved in the art and design space so that we can eventually turn our own cultural currency into a sustainable financial ecosystem.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a multi-hyphenate: artist, musician, designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of Cyber Graffiti. Cyber Graffiti is now a platform that focuses on cultivating and amplifying Zambia’s latent creative and innovation industry. In order to provide employment, sustainable development, as well as an economy for my fellow Zambians. I recently completed my MFA program at SCAD and on a thesis entitled, “Delivering Sustainable Impact to Community Needs in Zambia Through The Catalytic Power of Music,” which seeks to give more context and build awareness for the subject matter, pushing forward my patriotic passion for Zambia and my philanthropic efforts. My life’s mission is to always serve my community and eventually beyond borderlines. The goal is to architect and cultivate a sustainable ecosystem for hereafter generations to gain prosperity in all areas of wellbeing. I am designing in resources to humanity.
I am proud of the opportunities I’ve experienced and knowledge I’ve gained thus far. They have allowed me to tap into my inner child and create timeless moments. I think what sets me apart from others is the way I express myself and how I am leveraging my experiences and knowledge to architect sustainable solutions for my community in Zambia.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my most fond memories growing up is playing with my cousins in a fictitious island that I created called “Guava Land,” which in reality was just an area on my grandparent’s farm that had guava trees. We would set traps for adults and use our imagination to create our own world. If I had to explain it to someone now, it was like the animated tv show, Codename Kids Next Door.
Contact Info:
- Email: makumbimuleba@gmail.com
- Website: www.makumbimuleba.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makumbimuleba/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/makumbimuleba
Image Credits:
The pictures were I am performing on stage (Lucas Tam) The Studio Pictures (Ruehl Studios)
