Lifestyle - Communities
Tasneem Elnayal’s artistic practice is rooted in our shared histories and the visceral nature of personal experience. In this conversation, the London-based Sudanese artist and art director explores the influence of Sudan's political landscape, her journey through grief and hope, and the power of memory in creating space for new experiences.
Art is often seen as a universal language—but is it really accessible to everyone? Still perceived as a playground for the wealthy, the art world continues to exclude marginalized communities. From street art to institutional shifts, how can we reclaim space and open the conversation?
Quentin Tarantino has long been praised for his bold storytelling, but his approach to Black narratives raises important questions about cultural appropriation and blaxploitation in white cinema. While his films often feature diverse casts, the depth of his Black characters remains limited, catering to a broad audience rather than authentically representing Black experiences. His frequent use of racial slurs and reliance on shock value spark controversy, yet his dismissive response to criticism is even more troubling. This article explores how Tarantino profits from marginalized cultures while avoiding accountability, urging audiences to critically engage with the media they consume.
For our latest digital cover, we sat down with Berlin-born actress Tijan Marei. In our conversation, Marei reflects on the evolving landscape of the film industry—where wellness is replacing outdated notions of “cool”, women are claiming their space in more complex roles, and setting boundaries is an essential part of the job. Beyond the screen, she’s also a certified yoga and breathwork instructor, teaching a class called AntiDote—a practice she says has been life-changing. "I find life more beautiful when I add a little magic to it," she tells TITLE Mag. "We all create our realities together."
Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton had the voice, the power, and the presence to command any stage - but history didn’t give her the recognition she deserved. She sang Hound Dog before Elvis and wrote Ball and Chain before Janis Joplin, yet others profited from her work. Her story is one of many, reflecting a music industry that thrives on Black creativity while denying Black artists their due.
Tennis player Anna Kalinskaya recently became the target of online scrutiny due to her relationship with fellow athlete Jannik Sinner. This kind of backlash is far from unheard of. Famous women often find themselves at the center of parasocial-relationship-fuelled online debates because of their relationships with other celebrities. Yet this phenomenon exemplifies how, in a world obsessed with romance and dating, women in heterosexual relationships still can’t escape societal norms and expectations of how a girlfriend or wife “should” act.
Vampires have been used as allegories for an array of Others, from the LGBTQIA+ community to people with disabilities. Still, stories of female vampires tend to have even another narrative layer. They frequently explore the female experience's many elements and other vampire fiction themes.
In "A Woman I Once Knew," photographer Rosalind Fox Solomon takes readers into an intimate exploration of memory, identity, and aging. Through a clever combination of media, Solomon reflects on her life as a woman, empathically giving space to a subject artists rarely focus on.
“Growing up, I never saw girls who looked like me. Later, I was fortunate to surround myself with the right people to get to where I am today. But I’m still that little girl from Sonnenallee who just loved to dance. I think the less I try to be a role model, the more I can inspire others in my own way. Step by step, I’m happy to see more Arab women in the spotlight, showing other Arab women, girls, and boys that they can say, “That’s going to be me.”
The music industry is experiencing a powerful shift as Sapphic pop and rock dominate charts and festival lineups, bringing LGBTQ+ voices into the mainstream. With artists like girl in red, MUNA, and Billie Eilish leading the charge, songs that openly celebrate women-loving-women (WLW) experiences are resonating with wider audiences. This new era of queer visibility is finally giving fans the representation they've been searching for, proving there's a thriving market for music that speaks authentically to LGBTQ+ lives and stories.
