From a young age, Lesley Manokore ’25 knew he was a maker. “As a child, I was constantly creating things: cartoon characters, CGI effects, woodwork, literally anything,” he says.
In high school in his hometown of Harare, Zimbabwe, he pursued the arts, studied design and technology, and began making his own clothes for fun. His first piece was a graphic t-shirt with the words “munhu mutema,” meaning “person of color” or “standing out” in his native Shona language. Later he launched a streetwear brand to celebrate his heritage.
“My parents encouraged me to get my first t-shirts made,” he recalls. “I really appreciate how they believe in my dream and are always supportive and nurturing.”
That support was crucial when he made the decision to travel across the world to attend NYU Shanghai, where he planned to blend his love of culture and creation by majoring in Interactive Media Arts. “You can (engage in) learning that's designed for the future,” he says. “It's about us as humans, how we react and interact with technology and studying that whole scope of practicality of speculative design.”
The Journey to NYU Shanghai
After committing to NYU Shanghai, Lesley had to face his first challenge—getting to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions made travel extremely difficult.
“Getting a flight out of Africa was impossible,” he recalls. The closest flight to Shanghai was one from Ethiopia, more than 4,000 kilometers away from his home in Zimbabwe. And that flight departed rarely.
“While everyone was on campus quarantining, I was still at home doing a blend of online [classes] and trying to get to Shanghai,” he says. Finally, when he had almost given up hope, he secured a flight from Ethiopia. He took a four-hour flight to Addis Ababa, where he stayed for a week and then finally boarded the nearly 12-hour flight to Shanghai, where he went through another four weeks of quarantine.
While the extended time alone was isolating, he says he was just relieved to finally be on this side of the world. “I guess I was happy because I really didn't want to transfer (universities),” he says. “I was like, at least I’m taking the first step to making this educational experience happen.”
Integrating into Shanghai Life
Once the semester transitioned to in-person classes, studying Mandarin helped him integrate into life in Shanghai. Senior Chinese Language Lecturer Yuan Jie, who taught him for three semesters, made a huge impact on him.
“She would tell us a lot of stories about her experiences and always bring everything into context,” he recalls. “Those are the things that just resonated with me when I was actually outside in the field.”
Even outside of class, Lesley kept learning, staying in Shanghai over the summer and making friends with Chinese and Japanese students who didn’t speak English.
Lesley used a name generator on Google to choose his Chinese name–Yixing–but it was Yuan who taught him what it really meant: “to do everything whole-heartedly,” which he say is a perfect fit. “It represents my character,” he says.
Yuan praises him as a wonderful student. “He brought rare energy to class by asking thoughtful questions, supporting classmates, and always embracing challenges with humor and grit,” she says.
Connections and Culture
But it was in the Interactive Media Arts program where Lesley found his creative home. Associate Arts Professor of Interactive Media Arts (IMA) and IMA Area Head Marcela Godoy, Lesley’s capstone advisor and mentor, says he became an important member of the IMA community.
“I'm always amazed to see the cool stuff he's involved in, she says. “He has such a great personality and is always bringing his positive vibes, either DJing for our events, showing off his fashion designer skills, or learning new things in the studio.”
The IMA program allowed him to explore and embrace different forms of expression, Lesley says, with the full support of his professors. “I'm more willing to understand other people's perspectives, whereas before, I was really set on what I believe, but now I am open to questioning things.”
While at NYU Shanghai, Lesley continued to develop his clothing brand Babwe, which means “of stone,” and Godoy helped him make industry connections. “She’s been supporting my journey and something I’m passionate about,” he says. “And that feels really special.”
Lesley says art is how he explores his identity as an African, explaining that before his country gained independence from British colonial rule in 1980, “there was a suppression of being able to truly express culture.”
“I’m a strong believer that when you have a base and set of beliefs no one can shake you,” he says. “You start to experience life authentically and embrace being.”
Lesley’s senior capstone project, an installation called “The Great Barefoot Dance,” references a traditional Zimbabwean ritual of masquerade and, he says, is another attempt to reclaim his culture. “The reason I'm doing this installation is to resemble communication or connection between you and your past culture or something that may have been lost,” he explains.
Attending NYU Shanghai has been an exciting blend of cultures for Lesley. “I'm bringing my African perspective to (Shanghai). I'm getting the Eastern culture, and also getting the Western education. So just having those three (elements) come together is such a unique experience,” he says.
With culture, creativity, and self-expression at the core of Lesley’s academic and entrepreneurial pursuits, it’s no surprise that after graduation, he plans to build Babwe into a global brand. “My purpose is to put my energy out there, so I can inspire others and be able to guide them to fully express how they feel,” he says.
While he hopes to pursue a postgraduate degree in the US in the future, for now, Lesley is focused on staying true to who he is, from his Zimbabwean culture to his personal beliefs and artistic expression.