Mug thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at Young V&A
Design Gallery, The Factory, Case 1

Mug

2013-2014
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

These mugs (C.18-2016 and C.19-2016) designed by Jon Daniel are examples of simple yet powerful graphic design. They depict a male and female superhero who both represent and celebrate Africa and the diaspora. The designs were inspired by Daniel’s impressive personal collection of comics, action figures, toys and games from the 1970s-80s that feature heroes and heroines from the African diaspora. The collection was developed to shed light on the experience of a child of African Caribbean heritage growing up in 1970s Britain, and champions positive black role models in popular culture at the time. Daniel's collection was the subject of a successful exhibition, ‘Afro Supa® Hero’, at the V&A Museum of Childhood (September 2013 – February 2014) and the International Slavery Museum, Liverpool (May – December 2016). The ‘Brotha’ and ‘Sista’ designs were central to the exhibition branding and were translated onto various merchandise, such as these mugs, in order to create black super heroes for adults and children to identify with today.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
'Sista' mug from the Afro Supa® Hero collection, designed by Jon Daniel, 2013
Physical description
White bone china mug with a female super hero figure on both sides wearing a red leotard and green cape. She has an afro hair style, hoop earrings, and on her chest is a depiction of the African continent in yellow.
Dimensions
  • Height: 7.5cm
  • Width: 7.5cm
Credit line
Given by Jon Daniel
Object history
Part of the merchandise created to accompany the Afro Supa® Hero exhibition at the V&A Museum of Childhood, 2013-14.
Association
Summary
These mugs (C.18-2016 and C.19-2016) designed by Jon Daniel are examples of simple yet powerful graphic design. They depict a male and female superhero who both represent and celebrate Africa and the diaspora. The designs were inspired by Daniel’s impressive personal collection of comics, action figures, toys and games from the 1970s-80s that feature heroes and heroines from the African diaspora. The collection was developed to shed light on the experience of a child of African Caribbean heritage growing up in 1970s Britain, and champions positive black role models in popular culture at the time. Daniel's collection was the subject of a successful exhibition, ‘Afro Supa® Hero’, at the V&A Museum of Childhood (September 2013 – February 2014) and the International Slavery Museum, Liverpool (May – December 2016). The ‘Brotha’ and ‘Sista’ designs were central to the exhibition branding and were translated onto various merchandise, such as these mugs, in order to create black super heroes for adults and children to identify with today.
Collection
Accession number
C.19-2016

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Record createdSeptember 22, 2016
Record URL
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