The Seattle Medium and the Black Future Co-op Fund engaged the talents of local artist Afomia Assefa to create a custom design for this special edition.
Assefa is a multimedia artist who draws inspiration from diverse creative disciplines, including literature, photography, and film. Through her work, she seeks to harness the power of visual storytelling to inspire and transform, using bold colors, abstract backgrounds, and imagery sourced from her travel photography.
Her latest piece, Braided Wisdom, which can be seen below, reflects on the cultural significance of hair grooming in the Black community. The act of braiding and weaving hair together not only offers an opportunity for connection and community-building but also serves as a means of transmitting ancestral wisdom from one generation to the next.

As Black girls are cared for by the nurturing hands of their grandmothers and aunts, they are instilled with a sense of cultural identity and pride that can help to foster well-being and liberation within their communities.
To find more of Afomia’s work, visit afomiart.com.