Lulu’s bright and joyful illustrations caught our eye on instagram and we knew we had to have them for Issue 2. Her illustrations truely are a reflection of her personality: colorful, kind, and delightful.
Keep reading to learn more about her!
Prefered Name:
Lulu Kitololo
Current Location:
Nairobi, Kenya
Background:
I was born and raised in Kenya – to a Kenyan father and Tanzanian mother. I trained as a Communications Designer but I also have an MA in African Studies.
When did you first know you wanted to be an artist?
I’ve been making art, writing and designing things since I was very young – clothes for my dolls; vehicles to transport them; illustrated zines I shared with my friends; and even cutting up and refashioning my own clothes, much to my mother’s horror!
However, I don’t think I really actually thought I could be a professional artist until 7 years ago. Although I’ve always worked as a professional graphic designer, that’s when I started actively exploring self-directed work. And the more I did, the more I knew I wanted to be an artist.
What is your favorite thing about what you do?
Getting to learn about things that interest me and coming up with ideas and solutions. I also love that there is so much variety in my work – no two days are the same.
What is one value we could all do well to learn from?
Kindness. It’s the core value of my studio. Kindness to self, kindness to others and kindness to this beautiful planet we call home. But I truly believe it all starts with the self.
What is one thing you would wish to see in a more inclusive world?
The eradication of fear! I think it’s at the root of why people treat others so badly. And then they use their differences as an excuse – colour, gender etc. Fear of not having enough leads people to hoard, exploit, extract, create violence and more. Whether that’s enough money, resources, power…
Fear also prevents so many of us from being brave enough to go after our dreams.
You can check Lulu’s work out here on her instagram page or here on her wonderful website! And of course, in Issue 2.
Thanks to Lulu for being such a delight to collaborate with and thanks to you all for reading!
May your day be filled with joy and grace,
☐ The Ditto Kid's Team