ABIDJAN -- At a time when Africa’s creative voice is rising louder and clearer than ever, ORUN Studios made its official debut in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on June 26, during the International Exhibition of Audiovisual Content (SICA) and unveiled a bold declaration that Africa is no longer waiting to be narrated but rather now telling its own stories on its own terms. Born from a vision to reclaim narrative agency, ORUN Studios positions itself as a house of stories, a Pan-African creative powerhouse rooted in ancestral memory and propelled by high tech visual innovation. Behind ORUN Studios stands the Africa Currency Network (ACN), a strategic Pan-African group championing financial inclusion, cultural affirmation, and structural transformation. As a member of the Kigali International Financial Centre, ACN’s work spans finance, digital access, and creative education, all aimed at enabling a continent that defines itself, invests in its own talent, and asserts its place in the global future. Emphasizing the studio’s mission to heal forgetting through image, ORUN Studios founder Habyba Thiero explained that the initiative was born from a desire to connect the past, present, and future because without memory, there is no future. “ORUN Studios is a house of stories for an Africa that no longer waits to be narrated but speaks out with confidence. Our ambition is to build a bridge between African roots and future technologies,” says founder Habyba Thiero. “With ORUN Studios, a new narrative chapter begins, one where Africa takes the pen, the camera, and the screen, and tells the world who it truly is.” ORUN’s launch gathered artists and visionaries from across Africa and beyond, featuring a 360° immersive installation inside a six-meter dome. The audience were taken through seven symbolic kingdoms, each reflecting key African priorities that are health, education, culture, ecology, craftsmanship, circular economy, and sustainable infrastructure. This creative ecosystem is ORUN’s response to a generation seeking to reconnect with their identity while building their future. Using the languages of 3D animation, comics, and immersive design, the studio crafts a contemporary African mythology that bridges tradition and innovation. Fashion and design icon Loza Maleombho lent her artistic direction to a panel of discussion, further rooting the experience in bold African aesthetics. “While foreign designers have long been given priority, there is now a growing movement to spotlight African designers. ORUN Studios has embraced this shift, actively working to elevate local talent and position African creativity on par with international standards,” said Maleombho. The artist has designed for global superstars such as Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Teyana Taylor, and has collaborated with some of the world’s leading magazines, including Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Glamour. The ceremony was attended by renowned American film producers, who shared a common message to emphasize creativity and innovation by celebrating one’s unique ‘touch of madness’. The global creators include Mortal Kombat's Larry Kasanoff, Blindspot's Alex Berger & Star Wars: Resistance's Shuzo Shiota. The opening show of SICA presented by Orun Studios was a truly Pan-African performance celebrating the continent’s cultural heritage and modernity. The performance was staged by Afro Morocco, a dance group created in 2019 by Joyce, a choreographer, and Harold, an entrepreneur both originally from Congo. The group brings together dancers and choreographers from all corners of Africa, embodying the expression and strength of African unity and creativity. They were joined on stage by Iteka Drummers, a traditional troupe of drummers from Rwanda and Burundi.
