Sandflower's New Song Out Now: "Don't Stress"
Dress by Oliver Tolentino at Flying Solo
@theOliverTolentino @flyingsolonyc
Growing up, Sandflower was surrounded by creatives which further inspired her pursuit of multidisciplinary professions. Sandflower's drive for creativity and innovation spreads into music and fashion. By creating the African Intelligence series with Sprayground she extracts her love for fashion through the lens of Afrofuturism. Sandflower's most recent album "The Radiant Explorer” shares the introspective backstory and journey of who she is today. As audience members dive deep into the album itself, Sandflower exemplifies her sense of endearment, excitement, and experimentation.
Check out Sandflower’s new album:
Left:
Dress by Delosantos @__delosantos
Necklace by L'ENCHANTEUR : TALISMANS @l_enchanteur
Earring + Ring by Stylist Own
Shoe by Katy Perry Collections @katyperrycollections
Right:
Full look Georges Hobeika @georgeshobeika
Can you share your story of becoming an artist? What was the journey like?
Both of my parents are artists. My mom creates art with music and my dad creates art with paint. I was consistently immersed in these intellectual and conceptual environments where something new was being created. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was in the iconic environments – playing with Barbies in CBGB’s, meeting Johnny Rotten as a little kid, getting drum lessons from Max Roach, hearing Ella Fitzgerald sing at her last concert, getting songwriting advice from Jeff Buckley, watching Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers do soundcheck because my mom’s band was opening for them – I mean I remember finding the sound guy at Central Park Summer Stage when I was probably nine and telling him he needed to turn up my mom’s monitors. The journey into really diving into my own art has been a fulfilling and challenging one. It took me a while to really feel comfortable calling myself an Artist with a capital A because I’ve been around some of the people you read about in history books andworks of art they create, but I’ve come to realize you can’t put everyone and everything on a pedestal at the expense of your own creativity. You can spend a lifetime studying what has already been created. But wouldn’t you rather spend a lifetime learning how to create something that comes from your heart and your soul?
Who is your biggest inspiration?
I think my biggest inspiration is probably my grandmother, Mrs. Vivian Dyson. She passed away many years ago, but I feel her presence in my life every day. She was so stylish and forward-thinking, she even started doing stand-up comedy in the 90’s and it was hilarious. She was fearless. She filled me with love and courage and always taught me to hold my head up high. She collected antique coins and was a lover of history and a well-educated mind. She loved books and beautifully made objects. Her grandfather was the first African-American man to own an integrated store in Eastern North Carolina in the 1800s - she taught me that the color of one’s skin should never be a deterrent to one's dreams and ambitions. Because of this store, my grandmother grew up with farms and horses and a great deal of staff around her. She taught me so much about how to carry oneself and move through life with ease even if people judge you based on purely superficial standards. She taught me never to judge anyone based on appearances because you do not know their history. She taught me to always feel at home amongst beauty. She also really loved animals. It was important to her that the most vulnerable ones in society be taken care of and protected.
How do you think your biggest inspiration has impacted your roles and work?
So much of what I create has been inspired by wanting to live in a world filled with beauty for everyone. I want to use my imagination to live in the world that I can feel exists in my heart. I think many of us have magical daydreams that haven’t been crushed by society – and it is absolutely our responsibility to do everything we can to make those dreams into a reality - not only for ourselves but for those around us. You really never know how or why someone will be inspired by you walking your own unique path. I am really thankful to everyone I know who lives their life authentically and without apologizing for who they are. Those are the people that continue to inspire me to be creative and joyful.
As a Brooklyn-based artist, do you think the culture, dynamics, and environment in Brooklyn influence your work?
Absolutely. I come from one of the most interesting and diverse places on the planet. I come from a place where people find new opportunities for new dreams. And I don’t take it lightly. I’ve traveled all around the world and one of the things that I love most about being from Brooklyn, New York is the fact that people come here to start over. To start fresh. To realize the dreams of their heart. It’s also really interesting that no matter where I go in the world whether it’s Indonesia or Austria, England or Japan, everyone knows Brooklyn, New York. And it’s pretty incredible that this relatively small place on the planet has had such a huge impact all around the world. I think it’s a gift to have been born in such an interesting and diverse place. As soon as you leave your house, you’re encountering all different types of people and you’ve got to know how to respect those around you interact with different environments. And that gives you a really incredible set of skills that no one can ever take away.
What inspired you to put out your new album “The Radiant Explorer”?
I was really inspired by the feeling of flying and traveling to new places. I was also really inspired by the photoshoot that we did that are featured. PhotoBook inspired me to accelerate the release date. When we were on set there was this electricity in the air. Chappell Roan was playing. I hadn’t heard her album before and I was stunned by how much I loved it. I was inspired and emboldened. I texted David Sisko the music producer I work while I was on set “Now is the time for us to put out our new music!” I released my first album called “The Quantum Seed” in 2022 and I was ready to sing out to the world again. I left the shoot as the best version of myself and I knew it was time to press go!
What message do you want to share with your album “The Radiant Explorer”?
The message I want to share is that you can go any place that you can dream of. Your life is your journey - it belongs to you and you are powerful exactly the way you are. I know that if you can dream it you can be it. And both lyrically and sonically that sentiment is the foundation of the entire album. The Radiant Explorer is both a manifesto and gift to any artist and any dreamer.
Dress by CPLUS SERIES @cplusseries
Earrings and Snake Ring by Alexis Bittar @alexisbittar
Where vibrant palms meet sophistication. Proceeds support global humanitarian aid and sustainability. You collaborated with Sprayground on your African Intelligence 11 a collection that is almost completely sold out. What was the inspiration behind the collection?
It has been a really exciting opportunity getting to collaborate with Sprayground and David Ben David. African Intelligence was something that I created after making different masks and statues out of Sprayground backpacks. This collaboration was a natural progression of me knowing the brand since 2013. The African Intelligence collaboration has been inspired by my love of Afro-futurism. And to learn to design bags from a real pioneer and innovator such as David Ben David has been a masterclass of epic proportions. Diving into the world of bags and design is not something I would have ever predicted for myself. It is a really new and unique way of channeling ideas for me. I love fashion and have always designed my costumes and music videos, but this is a new way of interfacing with that kind of visual creativity.
You modeled and even directed components of your African Intelligence 11 collaboration. Can you share what the experience was like?
It is really freeing to bring these ideas to life, especially when I’m trying something new. It’s fun. Sprayground is such a cool ecosystem to be a part of. To be able to bring any idea to life, what a joy! And to direct many incredible teams is really a dream come true. It’s hard to overstate how much respect I have for the creative process and people who can bring ideas to life. Every photoshoot that we do and every bag that we make continues to be miraculous to me.
Is there a specific piece of work you hold a special connection to?
I think my first album “The Quantum Seed” will always hold a special place in my heart because it was such a monumental creation for me. Putting out that album opened up a whole new portal to me. And I was able to let go in a way that I hadn’t before. As much as there is courage, there is also vulnerability when you put something out into the world that you care so deeply about. It’s given a strength and momentum that I hadn’t previously experienced.
Are there any projects in the future you’re excited about and can share with us? What personal goals do you have from here?
Yes! I am really excited to create videos for “The Radiant Explorer”. I would love to create music videos for my songs “The Real Deal” and “The Wanderer” all the songs really. And I will also be releasing African Intelligence 12 soon!
What personal goals do you have from here?
I would love to keep creating on all levels. I would love to perform “The Radiant Explorer” and release another album in 2025, keep making visual art, and I would love to continue to find new ways to combine different modalities of creativity. One of my biggest dreams is to create/direct a film or TV show. I’ve had some ideas cooking for a while.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
If I were to look back on my life a thousand years from now, I hope people would say Sandflower really bloomed where she was planted and created a beautiful garden of prolific creativity for people to enjoy. I want to have left behind songs that touched the heart, art that uplifted the frequency of the planet, and a body of work that brings success and inspiration to all who interact with it. I want people to know how powerful their imaginations are - and how important believing in yourself is.
CREW CREDITS:
Talent: Sandflower
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director + Photographer + Producer: Mike Ruiz
Fashion Stylist: Alison Hernon at Exclusive Artists
Hair: Corey Tuttle at Exclusive Artists
Makeup: Deney Adam
Set Design Assistant: Dani Sax
Assistant Fashion Stylist: Atėnė At
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Anna Yim, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Photo Studio: Love Studios NYC
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