Hlophe’s Designs Poster for Poetry Africa Festival

Graphic Design’s Samela Hlophe whose poetry Africa poster was spotted on poles all over Durban.


Third Year Graphic Design student, Samela Hlophe, designed the winning poster for this year’s Poetry Africa Festival, which takes place next month.

DUT’s Visual Communication department had students competing for their work to be on the 21st Poetry Africa Poster.
The Graphic Design Department has made this project become an essential part of the syllabus for the third year students. The concept behind this project was to shift people’s views about poetry and focus on the essence of the festival.

That led  to the unique winning poster illustrated by Samela Hlophe. 

“The illustration was inspired by the feminine beauty in all African women, honouring the women’s movement that is currently in South Africa. The whole idea was to celebrate women and instead of using the face to show their beauty, I decided to use the head to appreciate them as being smart and to appreciate their beauty in whatever inventive hairstyle they choose to have,” said Hlophe.

Hlophe said the project was very challenging for him. “The first step was establishing the concept, then how the concept was going to be executed visually. Then the whole process of drawing, scanning, fixing and resolving my design for legibility,” he added.
However, he is happy as his hard work has paid off. The poster will be displayed all around Durban.

“It is an indescribable feeling because I have never achieved something like this before in my life. I am just over the moon to know that finally, the whole of Durban will see my work, although my humble nature keeps me calm because I know this is only the beginning of my career,” said Hlophe.

Hlophe aspires to be an independent creative not only in advertising but other creative fields. In 2013, he was part of a class that painted murals in an old age home and that experience inspired him to one day use his illustration skills to decorate old age homes and orphanages.


-CARLY VAN DER WESTHUIZEN

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