By Humairaa Mayet
Edited by Imaan Moosa
For as long as she can remember, Mikayla has dabbled in the creative arts. More recently, digital art has struck her fancy and she has spent her time creating digital pieces, many of them about social issues which plague the world today.
The progression of time can be seen through art. In the Prehistoric Age, prior to the development of complicated forms of expression, art came in the form of drawings on cave walls and sculptures, such as Venus figurines. As more complex styles of expression began to emerge in the period of Ancient History, human beings created more sophisticated forms of art, much of which depicted their circumstance. For example, in this epoch, Egyptian, Grecian, and Roman art depict battles and ceremonies.
The Medieval epoch ushered in a new form of expression. Art of the Gothic persuasion was the order of the day and this was seen in the types of buildings erected and the fashion in which churches and other important sites were designed and decorated. Then came the Middle Ages, coupled with the Renaissance, which saw classic art come about as the shift to the modern era took place. The Renaissance introduced stained glass, metalwork, and illustrated manuscripts, none of which could be found in preceding eras.
The Renaissance paved the way for the Baroque, Rococo, and Realist epochs, in tandem with the eras of Romanticism and Neoclassicism. Subsequently came the Modern Age, characterised by artists like Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet, of course. Modernism was followed by Postmodernism which introduced intermedia and multimedia, styles of art that were completely unseen prior to the epoch. Today, we reside in the contemporary era, where the predominant form of expression is digital art.
To EmpowHER spoke to Mikayla Boorany, a young digital artist who is completely self-taught.
Photos: Instagram
Everything I know about my work has been a result of a sort of self-directed learning process. I love tinkering with different digital tools. The trial and error approach that I've adopted has been so important to developing my creative style. I gain something from every piece I make, especially the pieces that ‘fail’. It’s a humbling and rewarding process.
Mikayla has always enjoyed experimenting with art forms, and as of 2020, she has begun to work with art of a digital nature. As a law student, her studies take up most of her energy, but Mikayla carves out portions of her time which she dedicates to her art. When she gets the chance to, she immerses herself in her creative work. Mikayla freelances as an illustrator and graphic designer.
Photos: Instagram
Her journey into digital art was rather unintentional. In high school, she co-founded a student-based social justice society called The Conscious Campaign. She began dabbling in basic digital graphic design as a means to organise the campaign and would design digital posters and flyers to advertise their weekly sessions and other events. She believes that the designs played an important role in growing their campaign. This period also allowed her to develop an interest in digital design.
Perhaps all of this led up to the start of one of the most notable chapters in my life: in 2020, I began dabbling in digital illustration and I have not stopped since!
Art has always been a passion of Mikayla’s. She has a creative spirit and this has allowed her to pursue her dreams. What began as a passion project has now grown exponentially. Mikayla uses the money she makes from working as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer to pay off her tuition fees.
Photos: Instagram
Nothing exists in a vacuum, least of all art, a medium which is inherently political. To Mikayla, art exists as an important tool which she can use to imagine and actualise a world she wants to see. She particularly enjoys channeling her thoughts, activism, and dreams through her art and uses avenues of digital art to explore these.
Illustration has been both the best remedy to my noisy mind and a portal that has allowed my excessive daydreaming to materialise into something tangible. I especially love playing with colour and textures to articulate my feelings. Being an artist exponentially changes the way one navigates through this world. After every single piece I complete, I am left with some sort of altered or fresh perspective and insight of the environment around me.
Like many others, the creative sphere is male-dominated. This, however, does not deter Mikayla. She told To EmpowHER that she has been fortunate enough to work with like-minded clients who are incredibly supportive.
According to Mikayla, in any industry it is important to create and cultivate a strong network of people that care for one another. Thus, trying to find her place in, and navigate through, the South African creative world as a young artist has been a pleasant experience. She attributes this to the fact that she has been able to work in collaboration with people who are encouraging of her work and who nurture her skills.
Photo: Instagram
I guess it goes back to the notion of ‘building our own tables instead of fighting for a seat at their table’. We all have a role to play in building spaces founded on solidarity, care and empathy, and this should translate into everything that we pursue.
Photo: Instagram
Follow Mikayla on Instagram: @mikaylaboorany
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