Keyede Heidel-Ajakaiye Champions African Animation Through Foundation

Yusuf Ebiti

Keyede Heidel-Ajakaiye, a Nigerian raised Visual Artist based in Canada, is steadily carving a niche at the intersection of visual art, photography, and animation advocacy.

She is using her foundation, The Colored Anime, to support young African animators and expand the continent’s storytelling footprint on the global stage.

Keyede is a professional artist and photographer who studied at the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts, following earlier years of living and studying in Calgary.  She is also an abstract expressionist painter, working with diverse media to translate inner imagination into vivid forms and colours.

Her multidisciplinary approach, shaped by a deep love for music, dance and the tranquillity of nature, continues to inform both her personal practice and her philanthropic vision.

“I’ve always enjoyed art in general and I’ve always been interested in art forms and animation,” she said in a recent media chat.

“Music, movement and nature bring a sense of peace that reflects in how I approach my creations.”

Her professional creative business dates back to 2021, while The Colored Anime Foundation was established in 2024.

Though relatively young, the foundation has already made a notable impact within the African animation ecosystem, most prominently through its partnership with the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), where it sponsors the animation category for the second consecutive year.

Keyede explained: “For me, it still goes back to what my basis is for starting the foundation in the first place.

“I see a lot of animation globally, but I didn’t necessarily see a lot of Africans doing it.

“When I looked closer, I realised there are Africans, and specifically Nigerians, who are interested in animation. What they need is support and encouragement.”

Through AFRIFF, The Colored Anime provides not only cash prizes but also skills development opportunities for award winners, a combination Keyede believes is crucial to nurturing sustainable creative careers.

She said: “I just wanted to see if I could come in and give a little bit of support and encouragement in my own little way.”

At the heart of her advocacy is a strong belief in the untapped potential of African storytelling. According to her, animation offers a powerful medium for translating indigenous narratives into formats that resonate across generations.

“I feel like African storytelling is a space that hasn’t really been tapped into,” she noted. “If you look at the Japanese style of anime or how other cultures animate their stories, they draw deeply from their history. We have that depth of story from our ancestors, but we’ve never really zoomed into it.”

She added that animation could bridge generational gaps. “Kids obviously like watching animation, and adults like it too. If the stories reflect who we are as Africans, it makes them more relatable and engaging.”

On what distinguishes a promising animator, Keyede emphasised a balance between creativity and technical execution.

She said: “There are two definitive things I look out for: creativity and storytelling, and audio production.

“If you don’t have great audio, no matter how good your story is, it takes people out of it. And if the audio is great but the storytelling isn’t, it still won’t work.”

Music, particularly Afrobeat, also plays a significant role in her creative philosophy. “Music conveys emotion,” she said. “Sometimes you don’t even need words. Movement and music can speak louder than actual conversations.”

Looking ahead, she remains cautiously optimistic about the future of animation in Africa, noting that growth will require patience and sustained investment.

“It’s not going to happen overnight,” she said. “We need more effort and more resources for it to work.”

On whether government or private investors should lead the charge, Keyede believes both have a role to play.

She said: “Either one works. They just have to see the potential and zoom out to understand where it can go. If they don’t, even if the creators are talented, it won’t thrive.”

Technology, she added, will only be transformative if matched with genuine support for creators.

“No matter how much talent there is, if the resources and encouragement don’t get to the creator, it won’t pan out,” she said.

Keyede has been involved with AFRIFF since 2024, making this her second year supporting the animation category.  While she leaves impact assessment largely to her management team, she draws encouragement from the enthusiasm surrounding the awards.

She said: “When I see how excited people are that there is an actual category for animation, it makes me happy. It helps creatives feel seen and encouraged to keep going.”

Some of the past winners from the categories that Keyede has sponsored are Dami Solesi, the Creative Director of Smids Animation Studios, and Adeoye Adetunji of 2thpick Art, who won the awards for best animation in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Her advice to emerging African creatives is rooted in adaptability and conviction.

She said: “Always be open to learning new techniques and striving to be better.

“Be open-minded, but also know when to stand your ground.”

As The Colored Anime continues to grow, Keyede Heidel-Ajakaiye’s vision remains clear: To help African stories find animated life and to ensure that young creatives receive the encouragement and tools they need to bring those stories to the world.