REBELLE ZINE

 

 ISSUE 02: FLOW ✦ NOV 2021

 
 

✦ Frizz Kid:

How Hana Shafi Cultivates Compassion Through Her Art

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Hana Shafi, A.K.A. Frizz Kid, is a visual artist and writer based in Toronto, Canada. Her art style, largely inspired by underground comics and the early 2000s cartoons she grew up with, is bold and vibrant, often venturing into surrealism. She is known for pairing the subjects of her pieces with handwritten statements that reflect her personal and political beliefs.

In 2016, she began posting artwork to Instagram that was speaking to and affirming survivors of sexual violence. “I was getting a really interesting response from the people I knew. They were like, ‘Oh, I love this. This is so nice to see, post more of this.’ And it was really nice to see people have such a heartfelt reaction.”

The popularity of her affirmations really took off when her “Healing is not linear” piece, featuring a floral EKG line, went viral. “That’s when I was like, damn, I need to do this consistently. This is really making a difference.”

Hana started sharing affirmations weekly and the topics expanded beyond healing from sexual trauma to dealing with general mental health, body positivity, feminism, climate change, and more. “Some of them are kind of more soft and fun, and some of them are more explicitly political.” She has produced a collection of over 200 pieces in the affirmation series since it began.

Unlike the typical strictly-positive affirmations shared on popular social media accounts, Hana’s affirmations acknowledge the harsher realities of life in order to create space for healing. “I think toxic positivity is awful. I think ‘good vibes only’ people are awful… It’s such an excessively privileged, ignorant thing to assert… I think it’s really, really important to affirm people that if they feel terrible, if they can’t get out of bed, if they can’t even take a shower, if they’re really angry, if they feel jealous, if they feel bitter… it’s all very normal, and they’re emotions that people have to work through and have to acknowledge in order to be fully-rounded, healthy people.”

Although social media has allowed Hana to reach so many with her art, she, like many artists, has encountered the dissonance between creating authentically and catering to a platform. “Honestly, Instagram and social media almost killed my flow because it forces you to, like, be consistent, you know? Have a consistent style, stick to your thing, stick to that aesthetic, make a nice feed, and I can’t do that as an artist. The whole point of being an artist is to be fluid, to try every medium, and try things even if you suck at it…. [Social media] has helped me tremendously as an artist. But I never want it to disrupt my personal fluidity as an artist and my curiosity to try new styles and try new things.”
In 2020, Hana released her second book, Small, Broke and Kind of Dirty: Affirmations for the Real World, which pairs about 50 of her affirmation pieces with essays of personal stories. Compiling her affirmations in a book served as a way to relate them to reality and unchain them from the toxicity of social media. “I wanted to ground the affirmations in actual personal storytelling because it’s easy for those little affirmations to become catch phrases or slogans which is not what I want.”

The essays range from a recount of the time she first cried in front of her friends, to her experience dealing with and accepting weight gain, to her perspective on clothing and choice as a non-practicing Muslim woman. “I didn’t want it to be a book that was rooted in trauma… I think it’s important to write about those things, but it wasn’t something that I wanted to do. I wanted to put stories of joy in the book because I think it’s just necessary to see those stories, especially when you’re a person of a marginalized background.”

In the introduction of the book she writes “Maybe art could be an act of kindness, and kindness could be a radical type of activism.” When asked to elaborate on this, she told us, “Society operates within a capitalist structure, and a capitalist structure encourages competition and ruthlessness and dog-eat-dog type of mentality. And so, kindness is often considered weakness or naivety… We obviously do hear messages about who is deserving of kindness, and those messages are rooted in classism and racism and ableism and so many other forms of discrimination… and I think to defy that and be someone who’s compassionate to everyone no matter their experience is one of the greatest things you can do.”

This belief is perfectly reflected in a story she shared with us of when she contributed artwork to a calendar for Certain Days, an organization that advocates for political prisoners. Her piece says “May you blossom again when you are burnt out” and depicts a burnt match blossoming with flowers. The calendars were sent to people in the prison system, and Hana was relayed a message from an incarcerated man who wanted her to know that her art had really moved him. “I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t even fathom it because the situation that he’s in is horrible… I’m personally very pro police abolition and prison abolition… And so I can’t imagine being in that scenario and literally being caged and seeing a piece of art and feeling moved by it, because I feel like in an environment like that it would be hard to be moved by anything.”

“When governments historically have imposed censorship and oppression upon its populations, it often targets the art and the artist first. And there’s a reason. And it’s because art is so, so powerful… One of my favourite quotes ever is by Toni Cade Bambara. She said that ‘The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible,’ because that is something that art can do. And we’ve seen it historically done. And so that for me was a big reminder that this art goes beyond the personal. It becomes political. It becomes a tool. And it was very, very, very moving for me.”

Hana’s work can be found on Instagram at @frizzkidart and Twitter at @HanaShafi. Her art prints, books and other merchandise can be purchased at her website

“INSTAGRAM AND SOCIAL MEDIA KILLED MY FLOW.”

We sat down with Hana as she shows her creative process + exclusive interview!

 

✺ AGAINST THE FLOW

Milyn Pham

 This series is about breaking gender norms, no matter how big, essentially challenging social norms. It's about a journey of solitude and learning to become confident in any style.

IG: @vizionmillz | www.vizionmillz.com

 

 

✦ MALAIKA KHADIJAA:

A JOURNEY THROUGH 18

Malaika Khadijaa began writing her debut EP on August 27, 2020 - the day she turned 18 years old. It was released exactly one year later on her 19th birthday. Appropriately titled 18, the 5-track project outlines the emotions and experiences that she went through during her 18th year. As anyone who’s lived through this age knows, it’s a time of transition and change as you truly step out into the world for the first time. Malaika captures what it’s like to be at the center of this change through a blend of R&B, rock, and African-inspired melodies. Her music sits well amongst the likes of Daniel Caesar, The Internet, Jorja Smith, and H.E.R, and she proudly pays homage to her roots by incorporating Swahili into her lyrics. The tracks tell the story of her year in chronological order - Let’s dive into each of them.

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NEED ME

The opening line of the EP, “Have you forgotten about me, baby, and all the things I do for you?”, throws us into an immediate sense of solemn betrayal. A melancholy piano arpeggio and the eventual addition of strings support Malaika’s passionate vocals as she mourns a drifting friendship.

“This song is about a friendship that I felt was heavily one-sided at the time… Like, I need you more than you need me, and that was a horrible feeling.”

As she graduated from her small town high school, she realized that some of her relationships were situational.

“Some [relationships] were not as good as I thought they were. And they only were, to an extent… because of the environment. So it’s like, was this ever really a good relationship?”

LET GO

The lonely realization of “Need Me” evolves into a sense of independence and courage in “Let Go”. Continuing to address her old friend, Malaika makes the decision to move on while maintaining an appreciation for what once was.

“I think realizing is one thing… but actually taking action is a different thing. It’s way more intense and it’s hard.”

She names Daniel Caesar’s “Show No Regret” as a direct inspiration for the production of “Let Go”, starting off calm and building up into a rock-influenced breakdown.

“It’s not a small thing to let go of those in-depth relationships or habits or ways of life that you’re so used to… That’s why I wanted to make [“Let Go”] a little bit more intense to represent those feelings of action.”

The song ends with a spoken word poem written by Malaika’s good friend Alexander Gallimore.

“He’s a great, great writer, actor, producer… We kind of have the same experience ‘cause we come from the same town, went to the same schools, hung out with the same group of people. We also kind of represent the same identities, like we’re black, artists, creative, a little bit weird… So we have always kind of talked about letting go, getting out of here, exploring, experimenting, coming into ourselves without feeling judgement from other people around us.”

The poem broadens the concept of letting go to include releasing fear and insecurities, as well as ideas, stereotypes and expectations projected by others.

OLIVE TREE

After the powerful ending of “Let Go”, “Olive Tree” feels like the beams of sunlight that quietly shine through after a storm. There is no production, only Malaika’s smooth vocals cushioned by the ambience of tweeting birds and passing cars heard from her backyard.

“The first two songs are intense. Last two songs are a little bit cheerier and tranquil. So I had this in the middle just to bridge it and also to have a feeling of rest after those intense feelings happened.”

On this 46-second long track, written at a point where there was a lot of positivity and support in her life, Malaika sings of the protection that she feels from this symbolic olive tree.

“Olive Tree actually represents my family because my great-grandmother’s name was Olive… So that was just a moment of appreciation for my family and those who support me the most.”

R4C (AFTERWORD)

“R4C”, standing for “Ready for Change”, is a short outro that looks forward to the oncoming change as Malaika closes the chapter on 18 and enters 19.

“I think change hits you so hard if you’re not ready for it. So I just needed that reminder to say ‘Okay, be ready. Nothing stays the same. You know this already, so just stay calm’.”

The track ends with a snippet from a voice memo that Malaika recorded during a conversation with her grandfather.

“He grew up in Antigua and their education system there is really heavy on learning about philosophy and words and he’s just very quick with his words and so I tend to just record when we have a conversation.”

The recording concludes with him quoting Ted Chiang’s The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate: “Four things do not come back: spoken word, sped arrow, the past life, and the neglected opportunity.”

“The part that stuck with me most was ‘the neglected opportunity’... Be confident in what you do. Make moves with intention as you’re changing.”

NYOTA

“Nyota”, meaning “star” in Swahili, encompasses a feeling of spiritual protection even when life is challenging.

“This sense of protection was bigger than me… I chose stars in this instance to represent that.”

In this song, Malaika takes on the perspective of her higher self passing on some important advice and guidance that she wishes to hold with her.

“The main premise of the song is like, I know it’s hard, but you have to fall, you have to make mistakes, you have to grow… I just want people to find calmness or to feel guided.”

Her layers of ethereal vocal harmonies perfectly emphasize the spiritual messages in the lyrics.

Malaika teamed up with director Chrxstelle to create a gorgeous music video for “Nyota”.

 

Stay tuned for Malaika Khadijaa’s upcoming releases and performances by following her on Instagram @malaikakhadijaa

We asked Malaika: What gets you into a flow state?

“It’s kind of spontaneous for me where I’ll just feel something and I’m like, yup, gotta write this out, or gotta take a voice note of this, gotta get this out now and jot it down so that I can remember it, build on it, and hopefully create a song from it… I’ll be taking voice notes on the subway, at a party… or even during class.”


✺ RED TORN ROSES

Pauline Lamadrid

still I dream about you and about us

the feelings I thought I had forgotten comes back

as fragments of a broken glass

as I recollect the pieces of

love, hate and jealousy,

healed wounds are reopened;

thick red blood flows from my fingers

and down to the ground it goes

where it lands

blooms red torn roses

IG: @lamadrp & @fleurnotflour

 

✦ JUSTINE DIAZ:

A Portrait of Discovery

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Toronto visual artist Justine Diaz crafts a world with her art that exists in a liminal space between real and imaginary. Looking through her work feels like stepping into a 1950s kitchen with brightly coloured cupboards and appliances and a checkered floor. It feels slightly surreal, almost like a toy set brought to life. Mismatched ceramics dot the counters. Doe-eyed animal statuettes and kewpie dolls keep watch from a windowsill while a Kit-Cat clock scans the room with every ticking second. On a table is a vase of roses - a familiar natural element to contrast the kitschiness surrounding it.

Justine’s art plays with the line between cute and uncanny. She employs an ironic sweetness, perfectly expressed in her sculpted pink heart-shaped cake topped with the phrase “men ain’t shit”.

“My art style is pretty eclectic. I’m drawn to bright colours and kitschy/weird things and I incorporate that into all my work whether it’s my paintings, pottery or tattoos.” Whatever the medium, she manages to allude to traditional art styles while bringing a modern edge to her work that reflects current popular culture. “I try to make it unique enough so people know immediately that it’s my work.”

Justine truly began discovering her signature style in 2015, when she was in her second year in the OCAD U Illustration program. “I kept experimenting with different mediums and styles until I found what I liked. Music, pop culture and the internet (specifically Tumblr at its peak and Instagram) have had a huge influence on me for as long as I can remember so that helped a lot when it came to coming up with different concepts, especially my paintings.”

2015 was also the year Justine painted the first self portrait in a collection that would become her Picture Day series. “I’d been working on pretty small-scale canvases and paper up until reading week during my 2nd year when I decided to buy a 30”x40” canvas to paint just for fun. I knew I wanted to do a portrait and figured I would paint myself.” Her portraits imitate the forced smiling and posing of school picture day photos, and are sprinkled with the bold, playful imagery that is characteristic of her work. “I was inspired by Petra Collins and Molly Soda at the time and loved their yearbook/school-esque photography.”

Justine has added a new piece to the series almost every year since the first instalment. Not only do the portraits display her evolution as an artist over the years, they also capture her growth as a person and what she was going through at different points in time. “Some I’ve done when I had free time, others I did when I was going through a new/difficult chapter in my life, so it’s interesting looking back and remembering what I was going through or feeling at the time.”

Justine is currently a full-time tattoo artist at Vision Seeker Studio in Toronto, but entering the tattoo industry was once an unexpected path for her. “I’ve always been interested in getting tattoos, not so much doing them until 2017 when one of my closest friends asked me to draw a design for her to get tattooed. I didn’t think anything of it, but then seeing my art permanently on her skin sparked my interest into pursuing tattooing.”

She decided to give it a chance and apply for an apprenticeship at a studio in 2019.“I was still working in retail and had no idea what I wanted to do. So I finally decided to start applying for an apprenticeship and got hired at my previous studio just hours after graduating.” She eventually joined the Vision Seeker team after hitting it off with some of the artists while tattooing them during her apprenticeship.

Justine’s tattooing style consists mostly of black and grey dotwork, with the occasional burst of colour. While she incorporates recurring kitschy imagery in her designs, she can also nail a classic butterfly or floral piece. Her unique ability to strike an eye-catching balance between cartoony and detailed makes all of her work stand out and draws people to don her art on their bodies.

“One of the most rewarding parts of being a tattoo artist is seeing how happy my clients are with their piece. It’s such a personal process for those getting tattooed, and as someone who’s shy and introverted, it’s so nice to be able to get to know the people who want my art on them forever!”

Find more of Justine and her work on Instagram at @justinemaediaz and on TikTok at @modernbaseballfan1996

✺ pLAYING NUMB

Elisabeth Dorion

I create music that speaks to my experiences and hardships and I try to do so in the most raw and honest way. I think that art is the ultimate form of human expression and it helps me feel connected to other people like nothing else. As a queer quebecois francophone woman in Toronto, I feel that it is important to make my voice heard so that people in my communities can feel like they’re not alone, and like they belong. 'Playing Numb' is about emancipation, letting go of oppressive situations and trusting yourself.

IG: @elisabethdorion | Music video credits IG: @queercollective

 
 

 ✺ CHARACTER ART

Erin Nantais

I’m currently in school for children’s media, and I’ve always loved art. I’ve found a way to combine my love for art with what I’m currently studying by getting into character art and illustration! Children’s media is so important because it is so influential, so I hope to make some memorable characters.


MUSIC HOROSCOPES

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGGITARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

 

REBELLE ZINE TEAM MONTHLY FAVS <3

MAEVE:

  • Personal habit: Allowing myself to follow my creativity, even if it’s not in a medium I’m used to.

  • Highlight moment: Dressing up and going to karaoke with my friends for Halloween!

  • Something new I’ve tried: Technically not new, but I haven’t done it in a long time - Writing poetry!

SARAH:

  • Personal habit: I used to do this and stopped, but now I’m getting back into it – answering little journal prompts every night on my Reflectly app

  • Highlight moment: When my roommate’s cat decided to sleep next to me on the couch (it sounds like a small feat but she never used to do that) 🥺

  • Something new I’ve tried: Boba hot pot at Mabu Generation! I never knew it was a thing but it’s SO GOOD.

JENNY:

  • Personal habit: Trying my best not to go on my phone once I wake up :/ 

  • Highlight moment: Getting my tooth gems :) I’ve been cheesing all the time with them on.

  • Something new I’ve tried: I finally tried Gyubee, a Japanese grill house restaurant. Let’s just say I ate GOOD that day.

MIKU:

  • Personal habit: Keeping track of monthly and daily highlights!

  • Highlight moment: Meeting up with my childhood best friend again for the first time in 2 years :)

  • Something new I’ve tried: It isn’t new but I rarely ate blueberry muffins because I didn’t like them, but I recently tried a homemade blueberry muffin and it was amazing!

LEILA:

  • Personal habit: Meditating! I try my best to do it every day, sometimes I'm not always successful...but that's okay :)

  • Highlight moment: Halloween! It’s one of my favorite holidays and this year all my friends and I were able to get together and celebrate, It was so nice being in that environment again since covid

  • Something new I’ve tried: A lavender latte made with blue pea powder, and yes the latte was actually blue and extremely tasty!

 SUPPORT LOCAL BIZ

CHEREI SHOP I IG: @CHEREI.SHOP TikTok: @CHEREI.SHOP

“I create handmade origami earrings and gifts that are made from love and care. I wanted to create this community that opens people’s eyes to loving oneself, treating yourself and feeling your best. I never was a fashionable person growing up and I lacked a lot of confidence, but I found that by looking my best, I felt my best because I know I put in the effort to do so everyday! By selling these earrings that I took so much time, effort and care for, I want people to know that they should treat themselves with the same care.” - Phinny Nguy


EDI SKINCARE | IG: @ediskincare

“I make skincare products for queer folks and allies! Purposely designed to be vibrant yet discreet, my products serve the same purpose as pride pins and bracelets but are only recognizable to lgbtq+ people and allies. I felt that it would be a safer alternative than disclosing people’s gender identities/ sexualities directly. And for allies, it just shows that they’re lgbtq+ friendly. (I also make YouTube videos in which I offer my 2 cents on social issues, including lgbtq+ things.)” - Estrella Lo


SOMM LOVE | IG: @Somm_Love

“I am a Sommelier Student and I want to make wine knowledge accessible to all without the elitist environment or judgement. I want to teach people to learn about what they like and what they don’t like and why.” - Emma Major


COLLECTIBLE CONTENT <3

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FLOW LOCKSCREEN 1

FLOW LOCKSCREEN 2

ISSUE 02: FLOW PDF

CREDITS

 PRODUCTION

CREATIVE DIRECTOR / PHOTOGRAPHER

Sarah McIntyre

WEB DESIGNER

Jenny Balite

PRODUCER / WRITER

Maeve Devries

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Leila Poupada

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Serina Knight

VIDEOGRAPHER

Miku Sakamoto

ZINE CONTRIBUTORS

Hana Shafi (Frizz Kid)

Malaika Khadijaa

Justine Diaz

Milyn Pham (Against the Flow)

Pauline Lamadrid (Red Torn Roses)

Elisabeth Dorion (Playing Numb)

Erin Nantais (Character Art)

Phinny Nguy (Cherei Shop)

Estrella Lo (Edi Skincare)

Emma Major (Somm Love)


SOCIAL MEDIA CONTRIBUTORS

Bobby Kumar (Breaking Free)

Liam John (Rebirth)

Sarah Itamah (Nice Guy)

SOAP Studios, Jenna Silverstone (Soap Studios Season 002)

Nuran Seren (Untitled)

Carina Saarenvirta (Osmosis)

Kali Talmon-Longden (Collecting Self Love)

Miles (Support Those You Love)

WANNA BE FEATURED IN OUR NEXT ISSUE?