By Tommy Evans

Afropean’s Tommy Evans converses with artist-designer-illustrator-musician and all round Renaissance woman Tahnaiya Russell concerning ethics, aesthetics and work ethic. With some waffles and Haribos thrown into the mix! Ingest. Imbibe. Enjoy.

Tommy Evans: Afropean is the social, cultural and aesthetic interplay of black and European cultures, and the synergy of styles and ideas brought about because of this union. Is “Afropean” an apt description of your life experience and, by extension, your artistic output?

Tahnaiya Russell: Honestly, I never really thought about it before. A lot of my illustrations tend to have a whimsical feel, which comes from my love for sweets – and sweets are a very European thing (big up Haribo). When I would draw, I would usually have a can of Old Jamaican Ginger Beer and a pack of pula pula inflavel Haribo, usually the milk bottle or horror mix.

NEXT: Racial segregation, English accents, and dropped jaws – Tahnaiya Russell Afropean Artist Abroad (Part 2)