Heritage, artistry and championing culture: Muna Lobé

Heritage, artistry and championing culture: Muna Lobé

When Muna Lobé started developing her creative consulting firm, she drew upon her deep passion for the arts and her roots in Ghana, Cameroon and the West Indies. Her identity is at the heart of AYA Consulting, which works directly with artists and art institutions to showcase the work of African, Caribbean and Afro-descendant creatives.

“Travel and culture are at the very root of my deciding to launch AYA and pursue this career,” says Muna, who is an anthropologist by training. “I’ve always been very into observing, understanding and recording the intricacies of our social and cultural behaviors. It’s given me an attitude and foundation for my work. My upbringing and my experiences as a traveler, as a nomad, have played a key role.”

Raised in a family of artists and creatives devoted to advancing the cause of cultural engagement, Muna’s love for art quickly blossomed. She has traveled and worked across the world, including Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, bringing her myriad experiences into the launch of her own business.

“Art allows us to become the actors of our present and future.”

“Your identity is your passport to understand the world.”

As for advice she would share with others, Muna gives a simple but powerful quote, which is widely attributed to Budda – “In the end, only three things really matter. How much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of the things not meant for you.”

However, she’s adapted the phrase to make it her own, replacing ‘gently’ with ‘passionately.’ “I’m a person with passion, I’m very fiery,” she says. “I am proud of my freedom of speech, of thought – and I’m unapologetic about it. Be unafraid. Be bold. Challenge yourself. Challenge others. And most important of all, your work, your life, should be fueled by love.”