Boy.Brother.Friend's fifth issue delves into themes of ‘rituals’ and ‘ceremony’

When we first covered the magazine Boy.Brother.Friend, we knew it was something special. That’s why we invited Kk Obi back to speak at a Nicer Tuesdays event to tell us more about the creative proccess of drawing together different artists to explore the intersection of diaspora and masculinities. Three years on, and it’s clear the magazine has gone from strength to strength – upping its game and style in spades. Recently, Kk and the team released their fifth issue of Boy.Brother.Friend which centres around the theme of ‘rituals’ and ‘ceremony’, specifically those which “govern contemporary diaspora creativity and existence,” Jojolola Dopamu, Boy.Brother.Friend’s junior editor, tells us. Containing a myriad of articles and interviews pertaining to fashion and art, as well as editorial shoots, poetry, and visual art, the fifth issue is a fascinating deep dive in to artistic habit and motivation.

“This issue takes us around the globe, showcasing the beauty of these places in a raw vividity that has become synonymous with Boy.Brother.Friend since its inception,” says Jojolola. With each issue carrying a theme that branches out into smaller, more minutiae sub-themes, Boy.Brother.Friend always seeks to unearth something new in its findings. “The magazine unpacks deep cultural, artistic and societal topics in an authentically raw fashion,” Jojolola adds. “Issue 5 ticks all the boxes of Boy.Brother.Friend style, while providing fresh perspectives and stories that examine ceremony as well as the culture of habit and ritual.”

On the theme ceremony, Jojolola draws us back to the foundational human aspect of ritual and tradition. “It can be easy to lose track of the more basic activities that we perform ceremoniously,” he explains. “What this issue attempts to do is to appreciate the beauty in all of this and, through our lenses of art, fashion and exhibition, investigate why ceremonies mean so much to us, what these ceremonies do for us, and why we organise and partake in ceremony.” From the Ye-Yee-Ye festival in Accra, Ghana, to an interview with Nigerian musical artist Obongjayar, to quotes from Stuart Hall’s Resistance Through Rituals: Youth Subcultures in Post-War Britain, there’s a lot to unpack and engage with inside the fifth issue. No page is left scarce, nor does any page leave you without something to think about – either critically or artistically.

“We hope that the audience can first of all appreciate the beauty within ceremonial undertakings in our lives and world over, and the general beauty of art and fashion in relation to the authentic issues and sub-themes contained in the issue,” Jojolola explains. “Secondly, we hope to see a brand new enthusiasm in investigating the psychology of why we do things, as well as why we do them in the various orders in which we do them.” The issue acutely presents a fascinating and thorough presentation of art, fashion, and everything in between, and breaks new ground in Boy.Brother.Friend’s move towards studying oneself as much as one celebrates and appreciates oneself.