WAR wades in the world of Black surf culture
We Are Royale releases a spell-binding short animation inspired by African surf culture, aquatic mythology and the exciting visual world of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
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Credits
View on- Director David Mesfin
- Animation We Are Royale
- Chief Creative Officer Brien Holman
- Executive Creative Director Jason Cook
- Creative Director Norn Jordan
- Executive Producer Rhys Demery
- Producer Michael Cauchi
- Animator Jared Norby
- Animator Dylan Casano
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Credits
powered by- Director David Mesfin
- Animation We Are Royale
- Chief Creative Officer Brien Holman
- Executive Creative Director Jason Cook
- Creative Director Norn Jordan
- Executive Producer Rhys Demery
- Producer Michael Cauchi
- Animator Jared Norby
- Animator Dylan Casano
Creative production company We Are Royale (WAR) has created this mesmerising, illustrated opening title scene for director David Mesfin's documentary feature Wade in the Water: A Journey Into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture, which combines historical accounts with modern-day testimonials to reclaim the thousand year tradition of Black surfing.
Through gestural mark-making in burnt orange and rich turquoise hues, the enchanting animated sequence tells a story of ancestral reconnection. We see a surfer mounting his board, gliding down into the depths of the ocean to come face-to-face with Mami Wata, a snake-endowed water deity from African mythology.
A spiritual awakening emerges from WAR’s painterly vignettes, which combine elements of African folk art and a touch of abstract illustrations, inspired by the paintings of iconic African-American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
