Niijournal #4
218 x 280mm, 198 pages
London, UK
First published in 2016
Founder and editor-in-chief: Campbell Addy
Art director: Tom Joyes
Launched by photographer Campbell Addy, London-based Niijournal offers an image-led mix of arts, culture and political commentary, revolving primarily around Black voices and communities. ‘Here to educate, not irritate’, it's been a few years since the magazine was last on our shelves; it returns with its recently redesigned fourth issue, themed ‘Pride?’ and a response to Ghana's latest piece of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Opening with a poem addressed by Addy to his homeland, you'll find writing and plenty of photography—from Francisco Narcisco, Carl van der Linde, George Hutton and more—with features on the Black experience in Japan, a Methodist church turned dance studio in Cape Town, and the legacy of Arthur Wharton, the first Black professional footballer in the UK. Heartfelt and beautifully produced, the images almost disappearing into the black pages, accompanied by hand scrawled titles and notes.
On the Journal:
Our review of the first issue: ‘Niijournal (or simply Nii) is a new fashion and culture title from London that aims to ‘enlighten and educate about cultural and global issues surrounding people of colour.’ The models featured inside are mostly Black as are the writers, and contributions come from Ghana, New York, Canada and England. Editorials dig into the East London music scene, shoots energetically explore notions of identity and subvert and interrogate stereotypes...’