Aguda Returns

Aguda Returns is a groundbreaking cultural heritage initiative uncovering the hidden history of the Afro-Brazilian Aguda people—formerly enslaved West Africans who gained their freedom and returned to Nigeria between the 1840s and 1890s. Blending historical research, digital archiving, immersive storytelling, and public engagement, the project seeks to restore and share a diasporic legacy long erased from global memory.

I was commissioned to design the project’s logo and develop its website. With minimal creative restrictions, I began by researching meaningful symbols and motifs from West Africa, starting with the rich visual language of Adinkra symbols, which carry deep cultural and philosophical significance.

VERSION 1

Adinkra symbols express traditional African philosophies through geometric forms. Spirals, for instance, are common and symbolize change, evolution, and natural growth.

VERSION 2

Adinkra symbol: AYA

"fern"

Symbol of endurance and resourcefulness

“An individual who wears this symbol suggests that he has endured many adversities and outlasted much difficulty.”(

Willis, The Adinkra Dictionary).

FINAL

We ultimately settled on the Adinkra symbol Sankofa, not only for stylistic reasons, but because its meaning aligns closely with what the company stands for.

“Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi.”

“It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.”

This Akan proverb and its associated symbol emphasize that the past holds valuable lessons that can inform and guide the future. The Sankofa symbol depicts a bird facing forward while turning its head back to retrieve an egg (or seed)—a powerful representation of returning to one’s roots in order to nurture future generations.