“New World” : African artist Joseph Amedokpo resides in the town of Vogan, Togo (West Africa) with his wife and five children. He supports his family through painting, using locally produced oils he blends by hand, on canvases made from recycled flour sacks. While painting, Amedokpo chats with frequent visitors and listens to a short wave radio, gaining a global perspective on peoples’ failures and weakness, as well at their core strength and hope, which is reflected in his art.

“Shine Within” : Award-winning artist Siobhan Gunning was born in Mombasa, East Africa and has had the opportunity to visit many of the unique locations in Africa, like the Great Rift Valley, the Serengeti Plains, the Ngoro Ngoro Crater, and even traveling up the Nile to its source. During these travels she has been privileged to observe wildlife in their native habitat and visit with tribes like the Masai and Samburu. Currently residing in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Gunning combines her passion for Africa with her life experiences and her love of art, design and photography, creating digital collages that often result in “happy accidents” that bring her joy.

“Healing Patterns” : Bruce Mau is the creative director of his self-named design firm, plus founder of the Center for Massive Change. His prolific body of works cuts across many sectors and disciplines including creating books, exhibitions, retail environments, building graphics, park designs, corporate identities to name a few. Mau was inspired by the science behind the fight against AIDS. His artwork represents the chemical bonding of the anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs that help save lives, combining the patterns with inspirational thoughts about the fight against AIDS.