Episode 34: How My African Aesthetic Is Reimagining Design and Placemaking Across Borders | Eunice Nanzala Schumacher

June 18, 2026

What does it mean to design from an African perspective? And how do questions of identity, belonging, and culture shape the spaces we create?

In this episode, I speak with Eunice Nanzala Schumacher, architect and founder of My African Aesthetic, about how her experiences living between Uganda and Norway inspired a deeper exploration of African aesthetics, design philosophy, and placemaking. Through conversations with architects, artists, designers, and community-builders from across Africa and its diasporas, Eunice has been documenting the ideas, histories, and practices that shape how people create meaningful places and communities.

Together, we explore:

  • What African aesthetics can teach us about design, community, and belonging
  • How identity and culture influence the spaces we build and inhabit
  • Insights from previous seasons of the My African Aesthetic podcast and platform
  • The role of diaspora experiences in shaping contemporary placemaking
  • Why documenting African knowledge systems and design traditions matters
  • Professor Mugendi's concept of "Africa with a K" and the importance of looking inward
  • What it means to create "home" across multiple places, cultures, and contexts
  • Whether an African placemaking toolbox is possible—and what it might contain

Ultimately, this conversation explores what happens when different worlds meet. As ideas, identities, and cultural traditions move across borders, they reshape how we understand home, belonging, and place. It is a reminder that home is not always somewhere we return to—it is something we continually create.

Guest

Eunice Nanzala Schumacher, Founder of My African Aesthetic

My African Aesthetic is a non-profit organization that centers research on African Aesthetics, African design philosophy, and African placemaking in African and African diaspora communities. Our goal is to contribute to the body/canon of knowledge on African aesthetics through dialogue, research, documentation and education. We shed light on the central and important roles Africans themselves have (have had) in creating sustainable neighborhoods and communities around the globe. We encourage thoughtful, constructive and reflective dialogue.

Timestamps

  • 00:00 – Defining African aesthetics: beauty, identity, and spirituality
  • 02:30 – Meet Eunice and the story behind My African Aesthetic
  • 04:30 – Leaving Uganda, building a life in Norway, and searching for home
  • 08:00 – Decolonizing design education and launching the podcast
  • 13:30 – What is African aesthetics?
  • 14:30 – African and Western design philosophies: differences and intersections
  • 21:30 – Community, belonging, and what cities can learn from African aesthetics
  • 24:00 – Key themes emerging across five seasons of My African Aesthetic
  • 29:00 – Identity as a foundation for design and placemaking
  • 31:45 – What is African placemaking?
  • 36:30 – Fashion, theatre, and community-building in the diaspora
  • 39:30 – The most overlooked aspect of African placemaking
  • 40:30 – Why listening and co-creation matter
  • 41:00 – "Africa with a K" and the importance of looking inward
  • 41:45 – What's next for My African Aesthetic?
  • 43:00 – How to support the platform and get involved

    • Key Topics

    • Africa with a K
    • African aesthetics 
    • African diaspora
    • African placemaking 
    • Community-building
    • Cultural heritage
    • Design Education
    • Design philosophy
    • Decolonization 

    Acknowledgements

    Sponsorships


    Support
    • Music Producer: Imany Lambropoulos
    • Podcast Host and Graphic Designer: Alexandra Lambropoulos

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