Peyton Jones (’25), Staff Writer; Chris Williams (’25), Managing Editor
The realm of the arts is full of incredibly talented people, and there is no shortage of them here at UNC-Chapel Hill. With Black Ink’s theme for this year’s Black History Month issue being Black contributions to the arts, we wanted to highlight some of the creative endeavors of UNC’s Black students, from visual art to music to creative writing. Be sure to check them out and support their work!
Johnathan Brown
Johnathan Brown is a senior Communications student with a Media Production focus from Columbia, South Carolina. A born storyteller, he is the founder of Lightwood Studios, a creative collective run by UNC and Duke students of color dedicated to telling the stories of minorities.
“I’d been more of a TV buff than a film guy for a while, but directing for the first time a few years ago opened up a world of possibility for me,” Brown says in regard to filmmaking. “I love being able to bring story universes to life–especially in a way that reflects the culture of marginalized communities–whether through writing, directing, or producing a one-of-one kind of concept.”
In November, Brown released SEE HOW WE FLY, a short film that he spent a year writing, directing, and editing. The film is a coming-of-age story about the reunion of three childhood friends—Flex (Ashton Hutchinson), Boots (Nijal Morgan), and Dizzy (Truman Chamberlin)—where tensions simmer as they attempt to navigate freedom and agency within emerging adulthood. Brown’s writing combined with the strong performances of the three leads culminates in an impactful film with a cool,
You can stream SEE HOW WE FLY here, and make sure to follow Lightwood Studios on Instagram for updates about their other projects!
Isabella Ukariwo
Isabella Ukariwo is a senior majoring in Information Science and minoring in Creative Writing with a concentration in fiction writing. She grew up in the Benin Republic and moved to the United States in 2018.
Ukariwo credits her sister for sparking her interest in visual art. In her words, “She used to do a lot of art when we were younger, and I fell in love with it because of her.”
It was history from there, as she explained: “I stuck with it and I would always experiment with art as a hobby. I didn’t take any formal classes until community college right before I came to UNC, and that’s when I started developing more technical art skills.”
While Ukariwo dabbles in just about everything, she specializes in portraits, taking inspiration from other visual artists. Here are just a few examples of her stunning work:
If you’d like to see more of her artwork, be sure to visit her Instagram!
Na’dayah Pugh
A sophomore student majoring in Film Studies from Climax, North Carolina, Na’dayah Pugh has been telling stories since she was young.
When asked what got her into writing, in true author fashion, she answered with a story: “We took long road trips when I was a kid. When the radio broke and I got bored my mom would make up stories, and I was really inspired by how she was able to create these worlds with nothing but her imagination. I’ve been writing since I was about six years old, but I didn’t realize the impact that my stories could have until my first fiction workshop in freshman year at UNC. It was so inspiring to see what other people thought of my work and how it made them feel something. I’ve been chasing that high ever since, by writing about love, loss, grief, life, death, nostalgia, forgiveness, and hope.”
Check out this excerpt from one of her poems, entitled “When I go / If I ever make it home”:
You can read the full piece here, and more of Na’dayah’s writing can be found on our website!
Brooke Lucas
Third-year student Brooke Lucas can be seen at just about every Black campus event equipped with her signature Canon camera. A third-year journalism major and AAAD minor from Spring Hope, NC, Brooke has been a photographer since 2021. From birthday shoots and athletic events to collaborations with XPressions Fashion Magazine, her signature Canon camera has captured plenty of Black UNC’s favorite moments. When asked about why her craft is so important to her, she said:
“They encourage me to be ambitious and they also push me to become a better version of myself every day.”
If you want to check out more of Brooke’s work and relive some of our favorite moments on campus, you can find her on Instagram @brookescanon!
MK Ware
MK Ware is a third year Communications Studies major and Writing for the Screen and Stage minor from Durham, North Carolina. If you’re looking for her, chances are you’ll find her at anything film-related, whether it’s on the set of a production or at one of the workshops or screenings hosted by the Carolina Film Association, of which she is the Outreach Chair.
Ware is also the writer and assistant director of So You Wanna Be a Tar Heel, a mockumentary-style short film in the style of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—but with a Carolina twist, of course! Davis, the film’s protagonist, breaks down the five rules needed to survive life at UNC, with plenty of fun moments in between.
On conceptualizing the idea, Ware said, “I think it’s a really cool thing to tell a story centered around our campus and have it almost act like a character in a way. I want everyone who goes here to watch it and say ‘I relate to this way more than I should right now’.”
So You Wanna Be a Tar Heel is currently in production and set to premiere at Carolina Film Association’s annual showcase later this spring. Keep an eye out for it!
Naari Short
Naari Short a sophomore from Durham, North Carolina majoring in Studio Art.
“My art is a combination of improvising and rolling with my mistakes,” Short explains. “I don’t always have a plan on what to do with a project, but I make something out of nothing that ends up reflecting a message that myself and others can relate to.”
Short works with a variety of mediums, including print, paint, watercolor, chalk, collages, and Adobe programs like Photoshop.
The piece pictured to the right, entitled “Stylin’ History (BL/GRN)”, uses an intaglio plate to depict six Black men, each with their own unique style of cornrows and braids. Meanwhile, Short used a collagraph plate to create the vibrant green patterns, designs, and words surrounding their heads.
The piece pictured below, entitled “Untitled 2023”, is less colorful but no less impressive. Short drew the initial image using acrylic ink, then scanned, resized, and printed it before chemically transferring it onto a linoleum block. He then carved, inked, and printed the image. The figure in the center represents a minority, while the designs surrounding it are inspired by the work of African American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Don Atlas
Don Moonie, better known as Don Atlas, is a junior communications major with a music and English minor from Gastonia. Come summertime, he’ll have been at his craft for about 8 years.
When asked about his inspiration, Atlas says:
“Making music allows me to express so much, from my feelings and my views, all the way to how the world is reflecting on itself. I’ve been rapping for a while, but I have been writing even longer. This has allowed me to strengthen my abilities to pour parts of my story into the world, as well as tell stories that people can hold on to.
I’ve thought about what and who inspires me. I think about my mother, others in my family, my friends, my community. But, my main inspiration in behind why I do what I do, is the youth. It is actually myself in a sense oddly enough; the 11 year old that looked up to different artists and found peace and safety in their music. I would love to be that same person for those who need a voice to hear and someone to connect to.
My upcoming album (I think that’s what we’re calling it) will be releasing this April, and I am super excited. It has a name that will be revealed soon. In the meantime; my single “10s 20s 50s 100s” is out on every platform, and I’d love for people to check it out!
Kyran Taylor
Kyran Taylor is a sophomore photographer from London, England. Known as @ktflickedit, he’s been taking and sharing photos for over a year.
Kyran says his passion “allows [him] to express creativity in capturing and preserving moments that people will always be able to look back on and remember.”
He credits other on-campus photographers like Brooke Lucas, Ashton Hutchison, and Cam Traylor as some of his main sources of inspiration.
You can find him on Instagram as @ktflickedit!
