ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Saki Mafundikwa - Graphic designer
Saki Mafundikwa wrote the book on Africa’s graphic design heritage -- then opened a school of graphic arts in his native Zimbabwe.

Why you should listen

In his book Afrikan Alphabets, Saki Mafundiwaka includes a Ghanaian pictograph meaning “return to the past” This is exactly what he did in 1997 when he cashed in his publishing job 401(k) and left New York to open the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIVA) in Harare. (“Vigital” denotes visual arts taught using digital tools.)

As a kid growing up in Zimbabwe, Mafundiwaka loved to sketch letterforms he saw in books and magazines, but he didn’t know graphic design was a career option until he arrived in America. "Sometimes you have to leave home,” he says, “to discover yourself.” He opened ZIVA to pay it forward. “The dream,” he says, “is for something to come out of Africa that is of Africa."

In 2010, he made the film Shungu: The Resilience of a People, a compelling narrative of the strategies ordinary people use to survive in Zimbabwe today.

More profile about the speaker
Saki Mafundikwa | Speaker | TED.com

TED2013

Saki Mafundikwa: Ingenuity and elegance in ancient African alphabets

Saki Mafundikwa: Asmamena eta dotorezia antzinako afrikar alfabetoetan

Filmed: 2013-02-28

Readability: 5.6

775,241 views

Alfabeto sinpleetatik hasi eta ezkutuko hizkuntza sinbolikoetara, Saki Mafundikwa diseinatzaile grafikoak Afrikar kontinentean idatzizko komunikaziorako dauden ezin konta ahala modu azaltzen dizkigu. Idatzizko hitz eta sinboloetan oinarritzen diren historia eta ondarea azpimarratzen ditu eta afrikar diseinatzaileak bultzatzen ditu sinbolo horiek erabiltzera inspirazio freskoa bilatzeko. Laburpen gisa bere Ganako glifo gustokoena, Sankofa, dugu. Izan ere, "itzuli eta har ezazu" edo "ikas ezazu iraganetik" esan nahi du.

Saki Mafundikwa - Graphic designer
Saki Mafundikwa wrote the book on Africa’s graphic design heritage -- then opened a school of graphic arts in his native Zimbabwe. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12

I moved back home 15 years ago

0

802

3775

Duela 15 urte etxera itzuli nintzen,

00:16

after a 20-year stay in the United States,

1

4577

2864

20 urte Estatu Batuetan igaro ondoren.

00:19

and Africa called me back.

2

7441

2364

Afrikaren deia sentitu nuen.

00:21

And I founded my country's first

3

9805

3541

Eta orduan sortu nuen
nire herrialdeko lehen diseinu grafiko

00:25

graphic design and new media college.

4

13346

2311

eta komunikabide berrien unibertsitatea.

00:27

And I called it the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts.

5

15657

4926

Eta "Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts"
izena jarri nion.

00:32

The idea, the dream, was really for a sort of Bauhaus

6

20583

4237

Nire ametsa, nire ideia,
Bauhaus antzeko zerbait zen,

00:36

sort of school where new ideas were interrogated

7

24820

4606

eskola moduko bat,
non ideia berriak zalantzan jarri

eta aztertuko ziren.

00:41

and investigated,

8

29426

3213

Afrikako ondare sortzailean oinarritutako

00:44

the creation of a new visual language

9

32639

2760

00:47

based on the African creative heritage.

10

35399

4981

hizkuntza bisual berri baten
sorrera aztertuko zuena.

00:52

We offer a two-year diploma

11

40380

3425

Bi urteko diploma bat eskaini genien

00:55

to talented students who have successfully completed

12

43805

3764

bigarren hezkuntza
arrakastaz amaitua zuten

00:59

their high school education.

13

47569

2180

ikasle trebeei.

01:01

And typography's a very important part of the curriculum

14

49749

2937

Tipografia gure curriculumaren
zati garrantzitsua denez,

01:04

and we encourage our students to look inward for influence.

15

52686

4943

ikasleei esaten diegu
ereduak beraien barnean bilatzeko.

Hau ikasle batek sortutako posterra da,

01:09

Here's a poster designed by one of the students

16

57629

2366

01:11

under the theme "Education is a right."

17

59995

4157

"Hezkuntza eskubidea da" lemapean egina.

Hemen, nire ikasleek diseinatutako
logo batzuk.

01:16

Some logos designed by my students.

18

64152

4283

01:20

Africa has had a long tradition of writing,

19

68435

4068

Afrikak tradizio luzea izan du idazkeran,

01:24

but this is not such a well-known fact,

20

72503

2172

baina ez da oso ezaguna,

01:26

and I wrote the book "Afrikan Alphabets" to address that.

21

74675

3933

horregatik idatzi nuen
"Afrikar alfabetoak" liburua.

01:30

The different types of writing in Africa,

22

78608

3547

Afrikan idazkera mota anitz egon dira,

01:34

first was proto-writing,

23

82155

2245

lehenik proto-idazkera.

01:36

as illustrated by Nsibidi,

24

84400

2168

Nsibidi-k azaltzen duen moduan,

01:38

which is the writing system of a secret society

25

86568

3072

Nigeria hegoaldeko ejagham taldeko

01:41

of the Ejagham people in southern Nigeria.

26

89640

3830

ezkutuko gizartearen idazkera-sistema zen.

01:45

So it's a special-interest writing system.

27

93470

3870

Beraz, idazkera-sistema hori
bereziki interesgarria da.

01:49

The Akan of people of Ghana and [Cote d'Ivoire]

28

97340

3575

Ghanako eta Boli Kostako akan herriak

01:52

developed Adinkra symbols some 400 years ago,

29

100915

4045

adinkra sinboloak garatu zituen
duela 400 urte edo,

01:56

and these are proverbs, historical sayings,

30

104960

3868

eta horiek atsotitzak, esaera historikoak,

02:00

objects, animals, plants,

31

108828

2710

objektuak, animaliak eta landareak dira.

02:03

and my favorite Adinkra system

32

111538

2008

Adinkra sistemako nire sinbolo gustukoena

02:05

is the first one at the top on the left.

33

113546

2376

goialdean ezkerretik hasita lehena da.

02:07

It's called Sankofa.

34

115922

1002

Sankofa du izena

02:08

It means, "Return and get it." Learn from the past.

35

116924

5994

eta "bueltatu eta har ezazu"
esan nahi du. Ikasi iraganetik.

02:14

This pictograph by the Jokwe people of Angola

36

122918

2801

Angolako jokwe herriaren piktogramek

02:17

tells the story of the creation of the world.

37

125719

3820

munduaren sorreraren istorioa
kontatzen digute.

02:21

At the top is God, at the bottom is man, mankind,

38

129539

5403

Goi-goian Jainkoa dago,
eta behe-behean gizakia.

02:26

and on the left is the sun, on the right is the moon.

39

134942

4908

Ezkerrean eguzkia dago,
eta eskuinean ilargia.

02:31

All the paths lead to and from God.

40

139850

3855

Bide guztiak jainkoarengana doaz
edo harengandik datoz.

02:35

These secret societies of the Yoruba, Kongo

41

143705

4394

Nigeriako, Kongoko eta Angolako

02:40

and Palo religions

42

148099

2195

yoruba, kongo eta palo erlijioetako

02:42

in Nigeria, Congo and Angola respectively,

43

150294

3737

gizarte sekretuek garatu zuten

02:46

developed this intricate writing system

44

154031

3924

idazteko sistema konplexu hori.

02:49

which is alive and well today in the New World

45

157955

3769

Gaur egun bizirik eta ongi mantentzen da

02:53

in Cuba, Brazil and Trinidad and Haiti.

46

161724

6188

Kuban, Brasilen, Trinidaden eta Haitin.

02:59

In the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo,

47

167912

3296

Kongoko Errepublika Demokratikoko
oihan tropikaletan,

03:03

in the Ituri society,

48

171208

2891

ituri gizartean,

03:06

the men pound out a cloth out of a special tree,

49

174099

3771

gizonek zuhaitz berezi batetik
ateratzen dute oihala

03:09

and the women, who are also the praise singers,

50

177870

3093

eta emakumeek,
talentudun kantariak direnez,

03:12

paint interweaving patterns

51

180963

2681

beraien kantuetako egitura polifonikoen

03:15

that are the same in structure

52

183644

2730

itxura bera duten

03:18

as the polyphonic structures that they use in their singing --

53

186374

4655

estanpatu ehunduak marrazten dituzte.

03:23

a sort of a musical score, if you may.

54

191029

3988

Esan daiteke partitura antzeko
zerbait direla.

03:27

In South Africa, Ndebele women

55

195017

2749

Hego Afrikako ndebele emakumeek ere

03:29

use these symbols and other geometric patterns

56

197766

3358

sinbolo horiekin eta bestelako
estanpatu geometrikoekin

03:33

to paint their homes in bright colors,

57

201124

3814

kolore biziz margotzen dituzte
beraien etxeak,

03:36

and the Zulu women use the symbols

58

204938

2922

eta zulu emakumeek ere sinbolo horiekin

ehuntzen dituzte
eskumuturreko eta lepokoak

03:39

in the beads that they weave

59

207860

1498

03:41

into bracelets and necklaces.

60

209358

3143

egiteko erabiltzen duten materiala.

03:44

Ethiopia has had the longest tradition of writing,

61

212501

4079

Etiopiak izan du
idatzizko tradiziorik luzeena,

03:48

with the Ethiopic script that was developed

62

216580

2319

K.a. IV. mendean garatutako

03:50

in the fourth century A.D.

63

218899

1962

etiopiar idazkerari esker.

03:52

and is used to write Amharic,

64

220861

2514

Idazkera hori 24 milioi
hiztunetik gora dituen

03:55

which is spoken by over 24 million people.

65

223375

3285

amharera hizkuntza
idazteko erabiltzen da.

03:58

King Ibrahim Njoya of the Bamum Kingdom of Cameroon

66

226660

4457

Kamerungo Bamum erresumako
Ibrahim Njoya erregeak

04:03

developed Shü-mom at the age of 25.

67

231117

3565

shü-mon idazkera asmatu zuen
25 urte zituela.

04:06

Shü-mom is a writing system.

68

234682

2087

Shü-mon idazkera-sistema bat da.

04:08

It's a syllabary. It's not exactly an alphabet.

69

236769

2993

Silabikoa da, ez da zehazki alfabeto bat.

04:11

And here we see three stages of development

70

239762

3315

Eta hemen ikus ditzakegu
bere garapenaren hiru etapak,

04:15

that it went through in 30 years.

71

243077

4639

30 urtean zehar burutu zirenak.

04:19

The Vai people of Liberia had a long tradition of literacy

72

247716

5560

Liberiako vai jendeak aspalditik du
alfabetatzeko tradizioa,

04:25

before their first contact with Europeans in the 1800s.

73

253276

3935

XIX. mendean europarrekin
kontaktuan jarri aurretik ere bai.

04:29

It's a syllabary and reads from left to right.

74

257211

4582

Silabikoa da eta ezkerretik eskuinera
irakurtzen da.

04:33

Next door, in Sierra Leone, the Mende

75

261793

3571

Han ondoan, Sierra Leonan,
mende herriak ere

04:37

also developed a syllabary,

76

265364

2023

sistema silabiko bat sortu zuen,

04:39

but theirs reads from right to left.

77

267387

3632

baina eskuinetik ezkerrera irakurtzen da.

04:43

Africa has had a long tradition of design,

78

271019

3390

Afrikak tradizio luzea du
diseinuaren arloan,

04:46

a well-defined design sensibility,

79

274409

3623

diseinurako sentsibilitatea
ongi definituta dago.

Baina Afrikan dagoen arazoa da,
batez ere gaur egun,

04:50

but the problem in Africa has been that,

80

278032

2302

04:52

especially today, designers in Africa

81

280334

2698

diseinatzaileek era guztietako diseinuak

04:55

struggle with all forms of design

82

283032

2534

lantzen dituztela,

04:57

because they are more apt to look outward

83

285566

4506

eragina eta inspirazioa bilatzeko

05:02

for influence and inspiration.

84

290072

2628

kanpora begiratzen baitute.

05:04

The creative spirit in Africa, the creative tradition,

85

292700

4197

Afrikako izpiritu sortzailea,
sormenerako tradizioa,

05:08

is as potent as it has always been,

86

296897

2876

lehen bezain indartsu dago.

05:11

if only designers could look within.

87

299773

4047

Baina diseinatzaileak konturatu
egin behar dira horretaz.

05:15

This Ethiopic cross illustrates

88

303820

2891

Gurutze etiopiar honek adierazten du

05:18

what Dr. Ron Eglash has established:

89

306711

2780

Ron Eglash jaunak esandakoa: Afrikak

05:21

that Africa has a lot to contribute to computing

90

309491

3889

informatikari eta matematikei
asko lagun diezaiekeela,

05:25

and mathematics through their intuitive grasp of fractals.

91

313380

5376

fraktalak ulertzeko duten
intuizioari esker.

05:30

Africans of antiquity created civilization,

92

318756

4067

Antzinako afrikarrek
zibilizazioa sortu zuten,

05:34

and their monuments, which still stand today,

93

322823

3313

eta bikaintasun horren testigantza dira

05:38

are a true testimony of their greatness.

94

326136

3584

oraindik zutik dirauten monumentuak.

05:41

Most probably, one of humanity's greatest achievements

95

329720

3918

Ziur aski gizateriaren
lorpen handienetakoa

05:45

is the invention of the alphabet,

96

333638

2966

alfabetoaren sorrera izango da.

05:48

and that has been attributed to Mesopotamia

97

336604

3118

Eta asmakizun hori
Mesopotamiari egozten zaio:

05:51

with their invention of cuneiform in 1600 BC,

98

339722

5565

K.a. 1600 urtean
idazkera kuneiformea sortu zuten,

05:57

followed by hieroglyphics in Egypt,

99

345287

3738

eta jarraian Egipton hieroglifikoak.

06:01

and that story has been cast in stone as historical fact.

100

349025

5469

Hori guztia harrian zizelkatu zen
gertaera historiko gisa.

06:06

That is, until 1998,

101

354494

2714

Eta horrela mantendu da,
1998an Yale unibertsitateko

06:09

when one Yale professor John Coleman Darnell

102

357208

5119

John Coleman Darnell maisuak
Egipto mendebaldean,

06:14

discovered these inscriptions in the Thebes desert

103

362327

3390

Tebas desertuko kareharrizko amildegietan

06:17

on the limestone cliffs in western Egypt,

104

365717

3360

inskripzioak aurkitu zituen arte.

06:21

and these have been dated at between 1800 and 1900 B.C.,

105

369077

6236

Inskripzio horiek
K.a. 1800 eta 1900 artekoak dira,

06:27

centuries before Mesopotamia.

106

375313

3009

Mesopotamia baino lehenagoko mendeetakoak.

06:30

Called Wadi el-Hol

107

378322

2928

Wadi el-Hol izena jarri zitzaien,

06:33

because of the place that they were discovered,

108

381250

3206

horrela deitzen baita
aurkitu zituzten lekua.

06:36

these inscriptions -- research is still going on,

109

384456

3405

Oraindik aztertzen ari badira ere,
inskripzioetako batzuk

06:39

a few of them have been deciphered,

110

387861

2798

dezifratzea lortu dute jada,

06:42

but there is consensus among scholars

111

390659

2507

eta adituen artean ados daude

06:45

that this is really humanity's first alphabet.

112

393166

5217

gizateriaren lehen alfabetoa dela esatean.

06:50

Over here, you see a paleographic chart

113

398383

3044

Taula paleografiko bat
ikus dezakezue hemen,

06:53

that shows what has been deciphered so far,

114

401427

3117

eta bertan ikusten da
orain arte zer dezifratu den.

06:56

starting with the letter A, "ālep," at the top,

115

404544

3409

A letraren hasita, "ālep", goialdean,

06:59

and "bêt," in the middle, and so forth.

116

407953

3685

"bêt" dator ondoren, erdialdean,
eta abar eta abar.

07:03

It is time that students of design in Africa

117

411638

3613

Bada garaia Afrikako diseinu-ikasleek

07:07

read the works of titans like Cheikh Anta Diop,

118

415251

4217

Cheikh Anta Diop bezalako
titanen lanak irakur ditzaten.

Izan ere, senegaldar horrek
Egiptori buruz egindako

07:11

Senegal's Cheikh Anta Diop,

119

419468

2116

07:13

whose seminal work on Egypt is vindicated

120

421584

3083

lan garrantzitsuak
inskripzioen aurkikuntzari esker

07:16

by this discovery.

121

424667

3133

baieztatu ahal izan ziren.

07:19

The last word goes to the great Jamaican leader

122

427800

3087

Azken aipamena jamaikar agintari
handiari egin nahi diot,

07:22

Marcus Mosiah Garvey

123

430887

1989

Marcus Mosiah Garveyri,

07:24

and the Akan people of Ghana

124

432876

3200

baita Ghanako akan herriari ere,

07:28

with their Adinkra symbol Sankofa,

125

436076

2373

euren adinkra sistemako sankofa sinboloak

07:30

which encourages us to go to the past

126

438449

2242

iraganera itzultzera bultzatzen baikaitu,

07:32

so as to inform our present

127

440691

2172

orainari informazioa eman eta

07:34

and build on a future for us and our children.

128

442863

4602

gure etorkizuna eta gure haurrena
eraiki dezagun.

07:39

It is also time that designers in Africa

129

447465

4241

Gainera, bada garaia
Afrikako diseinatzaileek

07:43

stop looking outside.

130

451706

2626

kanpora begiratzeari utz diezaioten.

07:46

They've been looking outward for a long time,

131

454332

2390

Luzaroan egon dira kanpora begira,

07:48

yet what they were looking for

132

456722

2312

bilatzen ari zirena
beraien esku egon arren,

07:51

has been right there within grasp, right within them.

133

459034

4953

beraien baitan egon arren.

07:55

Thank you very much.

134

463987

1804

Eskerrik asko.

07:57

(Applause)

135

465791

4939

(Txaloak)

Translated by Ainhoa Eguren Bengoa
Reviewed by Begoña Laka

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Saki Mafundikwa - Graphic designer
Saki Mafundikwa wrote the book on Africa’s graphic design heritage -- then opened a school of graphic arts in his native Zimbabwe.

Why you should listen

In his book Afrikan Alphabets, Saki Mafundiwaka includes a Ghanaian pictograph meaning “return to the past” This is exactly what he did in 1997 when he cashed in his publishing job 401(k) and left New York to open the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIVA) in Harare. (“Vigital” denotes visual arts taught using digital tools.)

As a kid growing up in Zimbabwe, Mafundiwaka loved to sketch letterforms he saw in books and magazines, but he didn’t know graphic design was a career option until he arrived in America. "Sometimes you have to leave home,” he says, “to discover yourself.” He opened ZIVA to pay it forward. “The dream,” he says, “is for something to come out of Africa that is of Africa."

In 2010, he made the film Shungu: The Resilience of a People, a compelling narrative of the strategies ordinary people use to survive in Zimbabwe today.

More profile about the speaker
Saki Mafundikwa | Speaker | TED.com

THE ORIGINAL VIDEO ON TED.COM

Saki Mafundikwa: Asmamena eta dotorezia antzinako afrikar alfabetoetan | TED Talk | TED.com