Malik Afegbua, Nigerian AI Artist recreation of a magical old age gets world doff hat

Nigerian filmmaker and artist Malik Afegbua is making a case for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in art. With his recent Fashion Show For Seniors, world doff hat for his excellent use of AI. CNN, BBC and other western media have reported Malik Afegbua as one amazing artist emerging with novel creative techniques, though, very few of Nigerian media barely report him.

 

Although AI generated art has become a source of controversy, Afegbua believes that it can challenge artists to create a better real world and a more stylish one for older people.

 

With his Fashion Show for Seniors series, Afegbua has been able to showcase older-looking models in beautiful clothes, through the use of AI software and his own imagination.

 

The series has received a great deal of attention on social media, including more than 100,000 likes and comments, and has even caught the eye of Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter.

Afegbua’s interest in technology and art stems from a camera that was gifted to him, which led him to pursue a career in filmmaking, BBC report says. He now produces commercials, documentaries, and virtual reality exhibitions.

With the emergence of AI as a leading force in art, Afegbua saw an opportunity to challenge societal perceptions of aging and the marginalization of older people.

He believes that AI image software, which takes prompts or uploaded photos, can be used to create aspirational messages and encourage people to think about new possibilities.

However, Afegbua recognizes the valid concerns surrounding the use of AI in art, including the potential for AI to steal other people’s work and create images without acknowledgment.

Despite these concerns, he sees AI as an exciting opportunity for artists to evolve and to teach AI to become more creative.

He himself has gone back and forth with several AI-image generators to find the perfect look for his “models”.

In addition to the Fashion Show for Seniors series, His Fiction series is also inspired by his vision of the future.

Galvanized by the stylings of Black Panther and the influence of Ruth Carter, the collection of images represents the people of Ngochola, an imagined ancient African civilization that is technologically advanced and capable of combining biology with technology.

Afegbua is an unapologetic champion for the use of AI in art and sees it as a tool for artists to evolve and make new discoveries.

While he acknowledges the ethical concerns, he believes that AI can be used in a responsible and creative manner to inspire and challenge people to think about new possibilities.

In this vein, the artist plans to continue developing the Elder series.

He wants to use the AI technology to help re-imagine what is possible today and in the future.

 

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All images copyright Malik Afegbua/SlickCity.