Azuma Kara “From the East” Collective
Chris Taylor:
Chris Taylor was born in Baltimore, MD and raised in Charlotte, NC. He is an artist who specializes in digital artwork and graphic designing. Chris draws inspiration from Japanese comics/manga and design. Being influenced by Japanese media as a child led him to create and curate Azuma Kara "From the East". An annual anime style art event based in Charlotte, NC designed to bring exposure to artists in the Charlotte urban community as well as create a fun experience for the audience. Working with a local non profit called Creating Exposure, he curated events, teaches and inspires youth to be a part of the Charlotte art community.
Josh Henderson:
Josh Henderson is a graphic designer, illustrator and painter who earned his bachelors in Visual Arts and Design from NC A&T State University. Josh draws inspiration from nostalgia, various cultures, fashion, surrealism and anime. He currently spends time using his unique illustration style in painting, graphics and animation in funky colorful environments.
What is Azuma Kara “From the East”?
Azuma Kara “From the East”
Our work focuses on the representation of black characters inspired by the anime art style. We showcase Black characters in the position of the main protagonist. “From The East” is an Anime themed show made by Charlotte locals. The goal is to raise funds along with Classroom Central for College and High School art students. Our desire is not only to bring attention to the impact of this culture, but equip students with resources who desire a career path in animation, illustration and the like.
Collective Artwork
Our work is heavily inspired by anime characters of the early 2000s. We wanted to create character in the image of the protagonists we admired. The work is sci-fi, futuristic anime themed worlds. We believe sequential art to be a tool for storytelling. The goal is to create positive representations of people of color. In developing this body of work, we want to include cosmic elements in the work while also maintaining the anime themes using a digital medium. We combine resources like photoshop, illustrator and clip studio paint to create digital art. Our process is divided into 3 phases. First we start developing the concept by writing and researching references/sources about the world, characters or message we want to create. In this phase we begin the concept art and sketches by developing the shape, portion, composition of the subject. We begin phase 2 with creating a personal color pallet for the world in Clipstudio, Procreate or Adobe Illustrator. We give the world texture, form, and space by developing the details between landmarks and the characters who inhabit the world. The details are what breathes life into the story. We finish the process by refining the composition, character design and color correction. Finally the product fits within the frame of the world we intended to build.
Black people are viewed as the villain but we’ve been oppressed and systematically sabotaged. No matter what we do the blame is on us for our nature and behavior without looking at the root of our misfortune. My skin color is not a crime and it’s not a joke. From this point in our lives and careers, we have watched from the sidelines for too long. It's our time to tell our own stories. Moving forward we see this collective as the hub for creatives in the Charlotte area. With the proper resources we can create opportunities and equip the youth with the tools needed to be successful professional artists. This platform will allow us to spread a positive narrative of misunderstood people of color.
