by Olivia Woodhouse

From colouring-in parties to colourful illustrations satirising white privilege on social media, writer Olivia Woodhouse finds out why Kazvare Made It is the triple threat the Instagram generation so dearly needs.

If you didn’t already know, Kazvare is a British designer and illustrator; you might have come across her sassy birthday cards and patterned stationery in the likes of Oliver Bonas or Scribbler. However, if you, like me, have been glued to your phone this lockdown, you’re most likely to have viewed her cleverly curated Instagram that fluctuates between Boris Johnson’s ‘word salad’ and Beyonce on the loo.

“Pop Art was [also] my vibe from early on.” Andy Warhol, Julian Opie and Roy Lichtenstein are all artists Kazvare lists as her initial inspirations; the men that paved the way for graphic illustration as we know it today. 

While it’s clear to see how her work has been directly influenced by the simplification of the human form by Opie, or the cartoonish elements utilised by Lichtenstein, what I find more telling is her regard for Jean-Michel Basquiat and Chris Ofili. Basquiat, an African American street artist, used the emotionality of neo-expressionism and historical references of primitivism to, quite literally, write the black experience on the wall. 

In a similar vein, Chris Ofili painted to illustrate African culture and question racial stereotypes, famously using elephant dung as part of his process. Both artists’ work have been described as ‘punk art.’ These men wanted to shake up the status quo; they wanted to speak truth to power, something you feel in Kazvare’s social commentary.

Despite what followers might believe, Kazvare’s work wasn’t always intended to be political. As her online presence grew, she couldn’t avoid the politicisation that followed. “To be black and a woman in a white-majority, patriarchal society often means that I don’t have the luxury of seeing anything (or being seen) as particularly ‘neutral’ and my work will often be read through a socio-political lens.” Certainly, she’s taking her success as it comes, explaining that above everything, she feels “a responsibility to continue being true to [herself]...to create work that speaks to how [she sees] the world.”  

I asked if it was difficult to create art, let alone satire, during a time of such unrest and dissolution in the UK, to which I was rightfully met with, “no, it’s the perfect time.” Kazvare poetically muses, “I can’t just draw flowers and butterflies when the world is in flames to the tune of God Save The Queen.” There’s punk in her veins, that’s for sure.

With the global spotlight very much on racism at present, it’s easy to forget that we are still in the midst of a pandemic. The UK economy has shrunk by over 20%; it has, no doubt, been a damning time for big and small businesses and will continue to be as we come out of this depression. Kazvare says, “There have definitely been some adjustments! I’ve had to learn how to be my own post office for instance, which has added another layer of work.” Regardless, she is markedly grateful “to still have the opportunity to create and continue [her] business in this time.”

So, what does the future hold for Kazvare Made It? Unsurprisingly, Kazvare is wary to make any solid plans in a time of such uncertainty, something which she describes as “scary and liberating at the same time.” For now, she has one hope: “that I continue to create ideas, products, experiences and things that both speak to this time we’re living in and also stand the test of time.” Sounds as though we’re going to witness Kazvare spilling the tea in her own unique blend of pop culture references, satire and truth, for the foreseeable future. And I look forward to it. 

View Kazvare’s work on her website, kazvaremadeit.com

Instagram: @kazvaremadeit | Twitter: @kazvaremadeit  

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About Olivia: Olivia Woodhouse is a budding lifestyle journalist with a love of travel, TV and unpicking the complicated world we live in.