Abdimalig, (also known as Abdi) is a hard-working MMU photography student, who aspires to pursue a Master’s degree in visual communication or abstract and experimental photography.
Abdi's talents helped him in creating his own magazine called Monarc, to elevate and celebrate the voices of artists of colour. You can see excerpts from the magazine further down the story.
Such aspirations, however, need a lot of financial support, which has proven challenging for Abdi who grew up in a single-parent household with five other siblings.
Having limited resources, plus the added pressure of addressing his own sexual identity, cultivated his strengths of resilience, creativity and imagination.
Working part-time whilst studying to help support his Mum, Abdi has found it difficult to find the funds he needs to buy equipment and art supplies for his course.
Abdi has been getting by, using sub-standard equipment that he’s had since college, and borrowing equipment from University whenever he can. Unfortunately, there are limits on what he can borrow, which restrict his creative opportunities and remove the spontaneity from his photography projects.
We awarded Abdi with £1,446 to purchase his own professional photography equipment to use for his university course and magazine. This will enable him to take on private commissions, and elevate and push his work to an even higher standard!
Abdi said:
“I want to say a huge thank you to We Love MCR for being so generous and taking a chance on me. Being awarded this grant for professional equipment will not only push my work and creative practice further. It will also hopefully allow me to be accepted onto a Masters course once I graduate. ”
We’ve been delighted to secure Abdi some work with our corporate partners, photographing fundraisers for We Love MCR, you can see him in action in the picture! These are helping Abdi to develop his portfolio of commissioned work, and he received excellent feedback for his work and professionalism.
Abdi has already seen his work featured in both Vogue and the Whitworth Art Gallery. With our support we believe he can achieve even more!
We Love MCR Charity awards grants every single month to ambitious young Mancunians. If you know, or are, a young person who is facing financial barriers to ambitions in work, qualifications or entrepreneurship, then give us an email at welovemcrcharity@manchester.gov.uk and check the Manchester's Rising Stars Fund page for more info.