Artist Profile
Javan the Poet
Kenya
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Javan Ofula, commonly referred to as Javan the Poet, is no stranger to using art to enact social change. Hailing from the suburbs of Nairobi, Kenya, Javan uses his platform as an artivist to spotlight and condemn human rights violations, police brutality, and inequality in his country. The multidisciplinary artist speaks out at a time when dissenting voices in mainstream media and artistic spaces face continual censorship—particularly police threats and political pressure. Part of his artistic practice has been turning to alternative platforms and building a network of solidarity through collaborations that keeps the energy of resistance alive and thriving. The effect of these collaborations has cemented and reinforced Javan’s firm belief that “art can give a voice to the voiceless.”
“Art is more than just a form of expression—it’s a tool to challenge societal norms, raise awareness, and inspire action.”
Javan the Collaborator
From poetry and hip-hop to radio drama and graffiti, the variety of platforms Javan employs ensures his holistic approach to addressing human rights violations while creating a culture of resilience and expression. While easily shareable and accessible art forms like poetry and hip-hop resonate with the masses of young people dwelling on digital platforms, other analog mediums like graffiti and murals demand attention in public spaces with their bold messaging and eye-catching symbols.
The Missing Voices Coalition, where Javan has served as Events Lead for the past two years, advocates against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions in Kenya. During his tenure, Javan brought together five artists to produce “UWAGA,” a song that addresses police brutality and advocates for collaboration over conflict between police and citizens. The creation of the song established a mentorship opportunity between four community-based artists and an established artist in the field. Javan also worked with the Mission Voices Coalition to establish essential training topics for a number of artists, equipping them with the tools and support they need to keep making socially impactful art.
“The diversity of mediums allows us to reach a broader audience and impact people across different walks of life,” Javan said in an interview with ARC. No matter what medium or collaboration Javan tackles, he approaches each one with an open mind and a focus on creating meaningful connections that create long-term impacts.
“Collaborations are essential for amplifying the message of social justice,” said Javan. One recent collaboration he’s particularly proud of is Sauti Jasiri, an integrated arts and advocacy project that emerged from Javan’s involvement with PAWA254, a Nairobi-based collaborative space for youth and artists to achieve social impact through community-driven projects, and the Wajibu Wetu Programme, a program created to support social transformation in Kenya. The collaboration resulted in five different albums, including “Sauti Ya Mtaa Dandora,” an eight-track album featuring ten artists that spotlight and raise awareness of human rights violations in his home suburb of Dandora.
“Yele Yele” from his debut album, “Biz Ni Biz,” also came out of this collaboration with PAWA. Javan toured the album in partnership with the Goethe Institut, expanding the reach of his art and creating an amplified impact for his activism. “Art is more than just a form of expression—it’s a tool to challenge societal norms, raise awareness, and inspire action,” said Javan.
“Collaborations are essential for amplifying the message of social justice.”
For Javan, art and sports are two informal but powerful ways to transcend the ultimately arbitrary boundaries between one another. When people play soccer or attend a performance, barriers like language and age are overcome through a shared space and love for culture in its many forms. When civic spaces for public discourse seem to be dwindling day by day, art and sports create a new environment for unity, collaboration, community, and exchange.
The Arts and Sports For Social Justice Committee, under the Social Justice Centres Working Group, intends to harness the power of art to engage audiences and communities to examine, organize, and connect their efforts to combat human rights violations and promote social justice in Kenya and beyond. Javan is directly involved as a member of the committee as he believes “bridging gaps between different artistic communities is crucial for cross-pollinating ideas and ensuring that the message of justice reaches every corner of society.”
By implementing art forms like radio drama through the Arts and Sports for Social Justice Committee, Javan introduced important human rights conversations to a wider audience. Relationships and connections will create a more unified artistic front for advocacy and provide opportunities for young artists to enact social change.
“Bridging gaps between different artistic communities is crucial for cross-pollinating ideas and ensuring that the message of justice reaches every corner of society.”
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Javan performs at the Young Advocates for Democracy Concert 2024 at Creatives Garage in Nairobi, which brought artists from various genres and countries together. Image courtesy of the artist. -
Javan conducts a team briefing before the Haki Tournament finals at Dandora Stadium. Image courtesy of the artist.
Art, Protest, and the #RejectFinanceBill
Javan understands the power of working with fellow artists to simplify complex issues for the masses, serving as both a form of documentation and a call-to-action. For Javan, using music and art to engage protesters creates an important sense of unity and shared purpose: “The art speaks to their experiences and drives them to act, fostering a feeling of belonging to a movement that is larger than themselves.”
A key moment where Javan engaged audiences in a movement through art was during the #RejectFinanceBill protests this past summer. The bill proposed tax hikes on various goods and services to increase government revenue in Kenya and was met with fierce protests largely made up of Gen-Z and Millennial protesters. The situation escalated dangerously and violently when security forces used teargas and live ammunition to suppress the protests.
“Art plays a crucial role in social change in Kenya by creating a space where people can voice their dissent, understand their rights, and motivate collective action.”
Javan utilized art to document the demonstrations and create alternative platforms for expression and resilience, such as “The Freedom to Protest” concert in Dandora, which was a collaboration between the Dandora Justice Centre and Article 19. “Art plays a crucial role in social change in Kenya by creating a space where people can voice their dissent, understand their rights, and motivate collective action,” said Javan. He knew that new platforms needed to be found to reach more and more young people—while art through songs, skits, and murals were having a significant impact, organizing concerts offered Javan a better shot at jumping into action, expressing himself, and engaging youth audiences without the limitations of other formats. For Javan, concerts quickly became the most effective method of reaching and mobilizing young people.
The Hague, HAKI Festival, and hope for the future
In the past year, Javan had the honor of serving as a panelist judge for the UN Human Rights 75 Youth Arts Competition in Kenya and on the selection panel for the Artivism Fellowship by Forum Civ. The Youth Arts Competition, organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHRC), aimed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and highlight youth voices through artistic expression on human rights issues. While the Artivism Fellowship concluded this past September, Javan continues to serve as a mentor, supporting young artists in creating work that explores themes relating to social justice that challenges the status quo.
Most recently, Javan has devoted himself to The HAKI Festival, a festival championing human rights and social justice. The festival, inspired by other prominent global events like the Sheng Circle Street Soccer, amplifies artivism on a much larger scale. The festival’s reach and impact will surpass Nairobi and spread throughout Kenya, providing a safe and uplifting space for artists to express themselves. Javan hopes that the festival will continue to be a space where art meets activism, and where long-term dialogues can be fostered to continue inspiring social change.
Javan is currently in The Hague on a three-month fellowship with the Artists’ Safe Haven Initiative of Justice & Peace Netherlands. The fellowship provides “temporary safe and inspiring spaces” for artists at risk to collaborate and engage with allies and receive support and resources for their work. Javan was selected for the fellowship because of his non-violent and artistic approach to his advocacy, and his impact on a larger group of (young) artists. During his residency Javan will speak publicly about his experience with artivism in Kenya.
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Javan’s fellowship at The Hague. Images courtesy of Alireza Parpaei.
In September, he kicked off his fellowship by leading a workshop with the “We Make The Hague” festival team. Soon other performances and networking meetings followed. In the same spirit of collaboration that he’s continually fostered, Javan has been able to share the best artivism practices with the other fellows, as well as learn from their experiences and philosophies. “The fellowship has reinforced my belief that art can be an international language of activism, and I hope to further develop this as I work with my team in Kenya,” Javan explained.
Javan’s participation in the Youth Arts Competition by the UNOHRC and the Artivism Fellowship by ForumCiv, along with organizing the HAKI Festival, have reinforced Javan’s commitment to mentoring, supporting, and uplifting young artists who drive meaningful dialogues through art. More than anything else, these past, current, and future collaborations serve as a beacon of hope and opportunity for artists to continue using their craft and voices to have a positive social impact. “I envision a future where art not only flourishes but also becomes a sustainable avenue for social change,” said Javan.
Lulu Chatterjee, November 5, 2024. Lulu is the Editorial and Communications Intern at ARC. She is currently pursuing a BS in Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU. Originally from Northern Virginia, she currently lives in Brooklyn.