Rethinking Narratives: Audrey Kodjo on Diaspora Creativity
- Audrey KODJO
- Sep 23, 2025
- 3 min read
“When I arrived in Europe, I realised how far the media’s narrative of Africa was from my reality. I wanted to show we are more than poverty and struggle - we are creatives, thinkers, innovators.”
In her recent interview with FAB L’Style, Audrey Kodjo, founder of Diaspora Creatives, shared powerful insights on identity, representation, and what success means for the African diaspora. The stories we tell, the platforms we build, and how we define success all matter deeply.
Audrey explains that part of her motivation for starting Diaspora Creatives came from arriving in Europe and noticing a huge disconnect between her lived experience in Benin and the way Africa is portrayed abroad. The media, she says, often reduces the African narrative to poverty or struggle - sweeping stereotypes that erase everyday realities like dignity, comfort, creativity, and success. For her, representation isn’t about polished perfection; it's about showing who we really are: creators, thinkers, innovators. It's about complexity, diversity, and the positive stories too often ignored. Audrey highlights how harsh stereotypes and labels often reduce African creatives to “recipients of help” rather than contributors. She challenges this view, stressing that diaspora members bring immense intellectual and cultural value. She also touches on how language and labels matter - how
terms like “immigrant” vs. “expat” carry weight; how the narrative around “helping Africa” can feel reductive; and how success is sometimes only acknowledged when validated by external institutions.
On success, she offers a refreshing take:
“Think about it: leaving your home country, arriving in Europe where the language and systems are unfamiliar, and starting from scratch – that’s already a huge success.”
Audrey shares a refreshing view of success: it isn’t a one-path journey. Returning to one’s home country, or staying abroad - both are valid. What matters more, she says, is whether you’re growing, contributing, staying true to your values, and making an impact - however you define that. For her, it’s not about one single path but about growth, impact, and staying rooted in values. She reminds us that leaving one’s country, adapting to a new culture, learning new languages, facing unfamiliar systems - those are achievements in themselves. Entrepreneurial success, creative projects, giving back, building community - whatever shape it takes - it should stem from what resonates with you personally.
Finally, Audrey points to the importance of building our own platforms:
“why don’t we build our own platforms? Why not pool resources, build capacity among ourselves, and create something that respects our creativity and responds to our needs, not just what global corporations dictate?.”
Audrey also emphasizes the importance of leveraging digital tools wisely - not just using existing platforms, but building ones designed for and by diaspora creatives. One of her biggest concerns is dependency: what happens if the algorithms change, policies shift, or the reach of external platforms reduces? Creatives often live with that uncertainty. She makes a strong case for investing in homegrown platforms: collaborative digital spaces and systems that respect the origin of creativity, that don’t extract without giving back, and that help African creatives control their narratives, distribution, and value.
Rooted in Identity & Values
A recurring lesson for Audrey is: know where you come from. Identity, heritage, values - these are not just nice extras; they are the foundation. When she works - whether designing, curating or organizing - there is always a piece of her identity in the work. And that anchoring helps maintain integrity, confidence, and creative clarity.
Her message is clear: representation, identity, and ownership matter. Diaspora creatives must keep telling their own stories - and shaping their own platforms.
Audrey Kodjo’s interview with FAB L’Style is a call to shift perspective - not only for audiences and institutions in Europe, but for creatives themselves. It’s about stepping into your voice, your power, and your narrative.
If you haven’t read the full interview yet, it’s definitely worth a look: it’s both challenging and inspiring. We hope it encourages each one of us to see more clearly what we bring - and what we can build.
Published on Diaspora Creatives. Read full interview on FAB L'Style
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