Spring 2024 Showcase MS Creates Kellum
Garrett Fuller, Neen., and Sochima Okafor
Mississippi Creates: Kell Kellum – Layers
Kell Kellum is a multimedia artist from between Itta Bena, Mississippi. He specializes in
instrumental music and photography. His creative journey takes root from his surroundings’ rich, complex tapestry. Kell’s art profoundly reflects his life experiences and the enduring impact of his environment. Collaboration is at the heart of Kell’s artistic process, a vital channel through which he navigates the depths of his creative exploration. As his friend Spencer Thomas aptly describes, Kell possesses a unique ability to “feel his way around the Song,” infusing his music with a meditative and reflective quality that resonates with profound introspection.
Seamlessly weaving between sound and imagery, Kell’s artistic vision is a testament to his unwavering dedication to his craft. Whether meticulously scanning and editing his photographs or orchestrating intricate musical compositions, he approaches each endeavor with a profound sense of purpose and control, seeking to distill the essence of his vision into tangible form. For Kell, photography and music are not mere artistic expressions but profound meditations on life; each frame and note reflects his innermost thoughts and emotions. Through his collaborative spirit and a keen eye for detail, Kell invites viewers and listeners alike to join him on a journey of exploration and discovery, where every image and melody is a testament to the beauty and complexity of the human experience.
Garrett Fuller is a first-year MA student in the Department of Southern Studies. He has a studio art and visual sociology background, emphasizing film and photography. Outside of filmmaking, he is interested in cultural history and ethnic studies. Currently, he is writing an essay on curating
archival media and material culture in Spike Lee’s film Bamboozled. He is also conducting research for his thesis project about the writer Charles Chesnutt, post-Reconstruction literature, race politics, and photography.
NEEN. is a first-generation American screenwriter and director from sunny South Florida. In her narrative work, she loves to explore historical fiction, mystical realism, fantasy, and futurism. She is interested in unearthing and preserving stories about the global South, Black lore, joy, and freedom of expression in her documentary work. Her character-driven work is rooted in her love for Black heroes, real and imagined, the nuanced worlds in which they live, and a desire to see them adequately represented, cherished, and lauded in film and television.
Sochima Okafor is a first-generation college student from Nigeria, currently pursuing an MA in History at the University of Mississippi. His research interests span African medical history, media, public health, and cinema in colonial Nigeria. Sochima is researching colonial health instructional films in Nigeria, focusing on their socio-cultural dimensions. Additionally, he hosts the RealTalk with Sochi podcast on YouTube, a safe space where he explores vulnerabilities and life challenges, celebrates success, and encourages storytelling geared towards uncovering meaningful solutions with his audience.
Looking ahead, Sochima is deeply committed to using film as a powerful medium to address Africa’s pressing health challenges. He aspires to leverage the cinematic lens to narrate authentic African stories, contributing to a more nuanced and globally inclusive narrative of African experiences.