Interview with Sanaa Gateja

How artists are staying creative through COVID-19 | Interview with Sanaa Gateja

In this interview with social entrepreneur and artist Sanaa Gateja, he discusses his inspiration behind his unique and wonderful pieces made of recycled beads and how he is coping with the covid-19 pandemic lockdown in Uganda.

1. How are you coping with the COVID-19 pandemic?

Kampala is under lockdown and we are all staying at home. All public transport and private vehicles are prohibited to move around unless drivers are carrying permits for urgent health issues. Shops are closed except supermarkets and all food markets.  We walk everywhere and, I must say, people are fitter. Jogging and walking became a daily activity around the city.

2. What impact has this period had on you as an artist? Do you find that it has impacted your creativity and do you have more time to reflect on your work ?  

Artists with studios at home are blessed to have time, peace and quiet to work as they like. I am in a different work mood: I have no anticipation of exhibitions in the near future and seems to be cut off from my usual contacts. This state brings a new energy to create and organise all my work archive, which are rather substantia in volume. There is much reflection about what will become post covid-19.

3. Looking at the positive aspects of this situation, there is much less pollution at the moment and people have more time for self-reflection, improvement and to think about the impact that they have on the world. In general, do you think that this period will be a source of inspiration for artists in the future?

This is a time for artists and everyone around the world to stop and contemplate nature as something to be cherished for their health and well-being. Artists have a great opportunity to make an impact by showing works that strengthen people spiritually, socially. This moment of self-examination is felt when the air is cleaner, quiet streets, animals emerging in cities as humans stay home, and family members are reconnecting. There’s a feeling of gratefulness as I walk in my garden and take time to be aware of my surroundings. The future will be certainly different and artists will continue to express themselves and develop their creative voices.

4. Throughout your career you have collaborated with craftspeople and local communities to work on various project which helped generate income for them. What has been the impact of the situation on your social initiatives?

The people who have been the most impacted by this situation are the women communities, I work with in the villages. Until I can physically collect the work I have ordered from them, they will not receive their payment. Being there allows for quality control and new orders to be placed. You are aware that my work is a construction of units which I design and train people to produce and this is not easy for them as I am the only consumer. The ladies who work from my studio, tend to live at a closer distance and their work is transported by bike messenger, back and forth for any iterations. This pandemic is definitely teaching us new ways to work together but remotely which will be useful practice in the future.

5. Could you share some insights of what you are working on at the moment? 

I’m currently working on a body of 6 works based on the same theme - PATHS- THE AFRICAN JOURNEY, which takes a look at my past inspiration. This present work requires me to delve into early techniques in order to connect with materiality and techniques used by early African artists whose attitudes were deeply connected to nature and environment. As we turn to alternative medication with herbs and plants, Uganda is rich of thousands species of plants and that bring benefits to our health today. For example, my family consume bitter leafs every morning. Nutritionally, bitter leaves have been used to alleviate the problems of micronutrient as it is exceptionally rich in proteins, vitamins and mineral elements. It is certain that there will be a resurgence of traditional healers after this period.

6. Lastly, what words of advice do you have for people to try and stay positive during this period?

I would strongly advise people to try to change their lifestyle by eating healthier and natural food, especially in Africa where it is rather cheap and accessible. Another advice is to be more compassionate towards one another.

Website : https://www.sanaa-gateja.com/ Watch Video: shorturl.at/svwD5 (source: CNN African Voices)

Nos Coups de coeur / Our Favorite Reads

En periode de confinement, la lecture reste une source d'évasion, alors nous vous avons préparé une petite sélection de nos coups de cœur littéraire dans toutes catégories confondues.

During this time of lockdown, we have round up a selection of books in different genres that will inspire you through the weekend.

Morayo Da Silva, a cosmopolitan Nigerian woman, lives in hip San Francisco. On the cusp of seventy-five, she is in good health and makes the most of it, enjoying road trips in her vintage Porsche, chatting to strangers, and recollecting characters from her favourite novels. Then she has a fall and her independence crumbles. Without the support of family, she relies on friends and chance encounters. As Morayo recounts her story, moving seamlessly between past and present, we meet Dawud, a charming Palestinian shopkeeper, Sage, a feisty, homeless Grateful Dead devotee, and Antonio, the poet whom Morayo desired more than her ambassador husband.

A subtle story about ageing, friendship and loss, this is also a nuanced study of the erotic yearnings of an older woman.

Fifteen-year-old Kambili’s world is circumscribed by the high walls and frangipani trees of her family compound. Her wealthy Catholic father, under whose shadow Kambili lives, while generous and politically active in the community, is repressive and fanatically religious at home.

When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili’s father sends her and her brother away to stay with their aunt, a University professor, whose house is noisy and full of laughter. There, Kambili and her brother discover a life and love beyond the confines of their father’s authority. The visit will lift the silence from their world and, in time, give rise to devotion and defiance that reveal themselves in profound and unexpected ways. This is a book about the promise of freedom; about the blurred lines between childhood and adulthood; between love and hatred, between the old gods and the new. 

In an African city in secession, which could be Kinshasa or Lubumbashi, land tourists of all languages and nationalities. They have only one desire: to make a fortune by exploiting the mineral wealths of the country. They work during the day in mining concession and, as soon as night falls, they go out to get drunk, dance, eat and abandon themselves in Tram 83, the only night-club of the city, the den of all the outlaws: ex children-soldiers, prostitutes, blank students, unmarried mothers, sorcerers' apprentices …

Lucien, a professional writer, fleeing the exactions and the censorship, finds refuge in the city thanks to Requiem, a youth friend. Requiem lives mainly on theft and on swindle while Lucien only thinks of writing and living honestly. Around them gravitate gangsters and young girls, retired or runaway men, profit-seeking tourists and federal agents of a non-existent State. Tram 83 plunges the reader into the atmosphere of a gold rush as cynical as, sometimes, comic and colorfully exotic. It's an observation of human relationships in a world that has become a global village. It could be described as an African-rap or rhapsody novel or puzzle-novel hammered by rhythms of jazz.

Une si longue lettre est une œuvre majeure, pour ce qu'elle dit de la condition des femmes. Au cœur de ce roman, la lettre que l'une d'elle, Ramatoulaye, adresse à sa meilleure amie, pendant la réclusion traditionnelle qui suit son veuvage. Elle y évoque leurs souvenirs heureux d'étudiantes impatientes de changer le monde, et cet espoir suscité par les Indépendances. Mais elle rappelle aussi les mariages forcés, l'absence de droit des femmes. Et tandis que sa belle-famille vient prestement reprendre les affaires du défunt, Ramatoulaye évoque alors avec douleur le jour où son mari prit une seconde épouse, plus jeune, ruinant vingt-cinq années de vie commune et d'amour. La Sénégalaise Mariana Bâ est la première romancière africaine à décrire avec une telle lumière la place faite aux femmes dans sa société.

De nouveaux problèmes animent le quartier de Yopougon, à Abidjan. Les Sissoko refusent de croire que leur fils Moussa est le père du bébé d’Adjoua. Cette dernière se retrouve toute seule pour s’occuper de son fils et profite –un peu trop– des talents de nounou d’Aya. Bintou, elle, est tombée amoureuse d'un Parisien en vacances et n'a plus de temps à consacrer à ses amies. Comme les Ivoiriens boivent de moins en moins de bière, la Solibra va mal et le père d'Aya doit abandonner son second bureau à Yamoussoukro. Mais bientôt les filles n’ont plus qu’une idée en tête: se préparer pour le grand concours de Miss Yopougon.

The Therapeutic Power of Art

Art is an interesting concept for people to try and approach. There are very few creative mediums which are as expressive and yet frustratingly devoid of description. Some people spend years applying brushstrokes meticulously to a painting, whereas others obsess over the most simple of creation. Art is incredible, and has been a mainstay since we first crawled out of the primordial soup.

 Yet, for all the incredible intensity and passion which can come from art, it can be quite therapeutic at the same time. There is something to be said for art as a form of therapy, as a way for people to relax and work through particularly difficult periods of their life with the help of art.

 Art is Therapy?

 So, cannot Art be considered to be therapy? Well, yes it can. You see, it’s down to a lot of different things. Everything in the world, everything that we look at everything we interact with, has an effect on us, psychologically. These effects can also be spiritual, emotional, physical, mental, they all have a lasting impression on us.

 So, the way that we interact with the world, and the way that we do things will have a bearing on how we look at everything. It’s important to therefore make sure that we fully explore art as a medium, and see how it can be useful as a therapeutic tool.

 The Significance of Colour

 Of course, something else to think about is the effect of colour on the mind and body. Colour is one of those things which has a definite impact on the way that we see the world. It has long been known that certain colours evoke certain feelings in people, and so businesses and organisations will use that in their marketing campaigns or products.

 There are a lot of art pieces with more relaxed colour schemes that will potentially be very therapeutic for people who are trying to seek some comfort in their art. More muted shades of colours, and very relaxed colours, like blues and browns and things like that may often encourage feelings of tranquillity and peace. This can be very therapeutic for someone who is constantly feeling a deluge of negative emotion. The type of art which helps to calm you down will depend entirely on who you are as a person, but there are different options to explore, and that is partially why people consider it to be a therapeutic thing.

 In conclusion, art can be very therapeutic. It depends on a lot of different things, like for example whether you are painting the art yourself, or drawing, or simply observing it. However it’s important to recognise the therapeutic value of these things, to try and come up with the best possible options. We think that art can be a wonderful remedy to the stress of modern life, and encourage people to take up a creative medium if they find themselves constantly battling feelings of stress, sadness, or aggression.

Contemporary African Artists are a Crucial Voice in the Environmental Crisis

Among the current ecological crisis, it’s no secret that developing countries are often the most severely affected, particularly countries in Africa. Very often, however, the voices we hear concerning climate change come from Western activists, environmentalists and politicians.

From the continent, often the most compelling statements come from the voices that aren’t verbal. Indeed, it is contemporary African artists that appear to be championing environmentalism, injecting their unique, personal voices—directly from the countries where global warming hits hardest—into the ecological conversation. Here are four of the most pertinent artists who are working with environmental themes, and are worth knowing about.

El Anatsui's "New World Map," 2009, installed at "La Terra Inquieta / The Restless Earth," curated by Massimiliano Gioni, Fondazione Nicola Trussardi, Milan

1.     El Anatsui, b. 1944, Ghana

Ghanian artist El Anatsui is one of Africa’s most recognised and decorated contemporary artists. His works are held in the collections of almost all major museums in the world, and he won the Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 56th Venice Biennale, regarded as the high point of any artist’s career. He is most known for his large-scale wall hangings, composed mainly of bottle caps and scraps of metal. For him, using every-day materials speaks of transformation, reuse, materiality and environmentalism. By using the humble, discarded bottle cap as the core component of his installations and sculptures, Anatsui touches upon wider societal themes that concern the development of Africa, how the nations within the continent connect with one other, and how they respond to the excessive capitalism of the West. Seeing one of these sculptures in real life allows the viewer to soak up just how much excess there is under our current world economies, and prompts us to consider what we consume, and ultimately, what we waste.

2.     Sanaa Gateja, b. 1950, Uganda

Saana Gateja is a painter, mixed-media artist and jewellery designer who is widely known for his signature incorporation of recycled man-made waste materials in his practice, particularly his pioneering fashioning of beads from discarded paper, which earned him the nickname ‘The Bead King’ in Uganda. He also works with barkcloth, paper, raffia, wood and banana fiber, using his materials to construct large experimental abstract pieces of social and environmental commentary that straddle installation, tapestry and sculpture and strike a balance between aesthetic and conceptual value. His works range from experimental abstract art in the form of richly detailed wall hangings on barkcloth to wearable art and accessories, all of which are strongly rooted in African culture.

“The message I bring is visually African; the themes I present are universally human,” says Gateja.

Sanaa Gateja, Spirit of Nalubaale ( Lake Victoria ) 200 cm x 110cm, papier journal tissé, 2018.jpg

3.     Romuald Hazoumè, b. 1962, Republic of Bénin

Romuald Hazoumè is a multi-disciplinary artist whose works spans photography, sculpture (masks), works on canvas and installations. Whilst a large portion of his subject matter concerns slavery and black market trades (both historical and contemporary), environmentalism is also a key element of his oeuvre, as he only uses recycled materials to produce his works. His series of sculptural masks, in particular, use repurposed materials such as gas canisters and discarded plastic containers, which serve as a critique of political systems and Western capitalism. In a powerful statement, Hazoumè once declared: ‘I send back to the West that which belongs to them, that is to say, the refuse of consumer society that invades us every day.’

Romuald Hazoume, Algoma, 2016. © Plastic and raffia, 50 x 40 x 20 cm

4.     Em’kal Eyongakpa, b. 1981, Cameroon

Em’kal Eyongakpa is a young and versatile artist, whose background in studying Botany and Ecology informs his artistic practice. Using photography, video, sculpture, sound, text, and performance, his works use the surrounding environment, as well as concepts of collective memory, ritual, and cosmology, to comment on the human condition and its effect on the environment. Rustle 2.0 (image below) consists of the creation of an environment where organic elements are confronted with others considered artificial or resulting from humankind’s impact on nature. Walls covered in mycelium evoke the idea of interconnected networks, in reference to the Internet; digital bronchi are shaped to resemble Africa and Latin America. Once again, therefore, the ecological crisis is linked to a human one, and Eyongakpa imagines a ‘sustainable future’ where an alternative human reality exists.

Em’kal Eyongakpa, Rustle 2.0, 2018, 32Bienal Sao Paulo

 The key take away from the works of these four diverse artists is that the materiality of the works always informs societal issues at large. For African artists, there is rarely an environmental crisis without a societal or political one. Though El Anatsui, Sanaa Gateja , Romuald Hazoumè and Em’kal Eyongakpa each have various tones and levels of assertiveness to the messages they portray, one thing is undeniable: the way they speak about the environmental crisis is a voice that must be included in the conversation. Their viewpoints come from the countries where most damage is being done, and without their potent visual commentary on the crisis, the environmental debate—and the realities of its effects on global society as a whole—is incomplete.

10 Conseils pour acheter de l'art (sans être millionaire)

1. Achetez ce qui vous fait plaisir

En initiant votre collection, pensez que ces œuvres d’art vont vous accompagner au quotidien, alors autant qu’elles vous plaisent ! Ne collectionnez pas ce que tout le monde recherche, laissez place à vos goûts, fiez-vous à votre instinct. Vous découvrirez ainsi des artistes qui ne sont pas encore hors de prix. Out la spéculation ! N’essayez pas de « faire un coup » grâce à votre premier achat en pensant que vous pourrez le revendre plus cher. Il ne faut pas voir votre acquisition comme un investissement mais vraiment comme un cheminement vers votre propre collection.

Soly Cissé © Courtesy of Galerie MAM

2. Ne soyez pas timide : fréquentez les galeries et négociez

Osez rentrer dans les lieux dédiés aux collectionneurs. Même si vous avez un emploi du temps chargé, les galeries d’art. Ces professionnels répondent volontiers aux questions des néophytes. Chassez de votre tête l’idée que les galeries sont des lieux élitistes !

N’oubliez pas qu’il est possible de négocier dans la plupart des cas. Aucun galeriste ne sera offusqué, alors tentez votre chance !

Galerie MAM, Douala

3. Allez voir les jeunes artistes

Si vous êtes sensible à l’art contemporain, vous avez tout intérêt à acheter vos œuvres directement auprès d’un artiste directement en allant visiter son atelier.

Atelier de Boris Nzebo, Douala.

4. Pourquoi ne pas faire son marché sur le net

De nombreuses marketplaces, qui mettent en relation galeries et collectionneurs, fleurissent sur internet. Pour vous y retrouver, vérifiez que le site où est vendue l’œuvre qui suscite votre convoitise propose les mêmes garanties qu’une galerie d’art : expertise, qualité et authenticité. Certains avantages peuvent vous aider à faire votre choix : par exemple, un site qui propose une livraison par un transporteur spécialisé avec une assurance comprise dans les frais de port et la garantie satisfait ou remboursé.

 il existe aussi des galeries d’art en ligne, plus spécialisées, qui mettent en relation l’artiste avec l’acheteur. Alors n’hésitez pas a surfez le net.

© Artlogic

5. Se tourner vers la litho, plus accessible

L’estampe permet de créer et reproduire en plusieurs exemplaires un tracé exécuté par l’artiste lui-même. La cote d’une lithographie est donc liée à la cote des originaux de l’artiste, mais en moins cher ! La quantité n’est certes pas limitée pour les tirages lithographiques, cependant un tirage modeste (à 25 ou 50 exemplaires) sera plus recherché qu’un tirage à 250 exemplaires, donc plus cher. Pour être sûr d’acheter une véritable litho et non un tirage industriel offset : vérifier que l’artiste a signé de sa main et numéroté le tirage.

Boris Nzebo at Galerie MAM.

6. Pensez aux ventes aux enchères

Les maisons de ventes organisent des ventes aux enchères courantes, c’est-à-dire avec des départements dédiés a l’art moderne et contemporain Africain. Les pièces proposées sont des œuvres originales qui proviennent de successions ou mises en vente par des particuliers, et souvent vendues à des prix ultras compétitifs. Vous trouverez facilement des lithos, dessins, tableaux, mais aussi sculptures et objets d’art.

Fixez-vous un budget avant d’enchérir, sans oublier les frais acheteurs à prévoir en sus du prix d’adjudication (entre 20% et 30% selon les maisons de ventes). Le commissaire-priseur engage sa responsabilité sur les œuvres qu’il vend : une fois votre achat effectué, le bordereau fait preuve de certificat d’authenticité.

Pour être informé du programme des ventes, consultez les sites www.bonhams.com, www.sothebys.com et www.artauctioneastafrica.com. Vous cherchez l’œuvre d’un artiste ou un objet en particulier ? Vous pouvez activer une alerte pour ne rien manquer !

Participez aussi aux ventes aux enchères des fonds d’ateliers : dans ces ventes où tout doit être vendu, de nombreuses œuvres de l’artiste sont dispersées. C’est donc l’occasion d’acquérir, à des prix accessibles, des œuvres déjà cotées sur le marché de l’art. Vous pouvez d’ailleurs vous renseigner sur la cote d’un artiste sur le site Artprice.

7. Acheter de l’art, c’est aussi bien le conserver

Il faut avoir en tête la fragilité et l’éphémère condition d’une œuvre d’art. Qu’il s’agisse d’une huile sur toile, d’une sculpture ou d’un dessin, la lumière, les variations brusques de température et la poussière sont leurs principaux ennemis. Sans non plus transformer votre salon en musée ultra-sécurisé, mettez en place des moyens simples, mais efficaces. Vous pouvez par exemple éloigner les œuvres des sources lumineuses directes ou manipuler votre collection avec des gants.

Source: Beaux-Arts

What's On: November - December Round up of Exhibitions

Bamako Encounters – African Biennale of Photography Streams of Consciousness 30 November 2019 – 31 January 2020

Bamako Encounters, the historical and internationally renowned Biennale for Photography and Video Art on the African Continent, is proud to announce the artists who will contribute to its 25th anniversary edition. The Biennale will run in Bamako, Mali from the 30th of November 2019 to the 31st of January 2020. Conceived by Artistic Director Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung and a curatorial team comprised of Aziza Harmel, Astrid Sokona Lepoultier and Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh, with artistic advisors Akinbode Akinbiyi, Seydou Camara and scenographer Cheick Diallo, this edition is an invitation to think about the artistic practice of photography as a stream of consciousness, as well as to consider photography beyond the tight corset of the photographic; the moment of a snapshot emanates from a flow of thoughts and associations reflecting the photographer’s inner voice, which is unavoidably and constantly in motion.

Cameroonian photographers Yvon Ngassam , Antoine Ngolkedo’o and internationally-acclaimed artist and filmmaker Jean-Pierre Bekolo and visual artist Guy Woueté have been announced in the selection of the 12th Bamako Encounters .

Les Rencontres de Bamako, Biennale historique et de renommée internationale de la photographie et de l’art vidéo sur le continent africain, est fier d’annoncer les artistes qui contribueront à son édition célébrant son 25ème anniversaire. La Biennale se déroulera à Bamako, au Mali, du 30 novembre 2019 au 31 janvier 2020. Conçu par le directeur artistique Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung et une équipe de curateurs composée d’Aziza Harmel, d’Astrid Sokona Lepoultier et de Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh, avec les conseils artistiques Akinbode Akinbiyi et Seydou Camara ainsi que le scénographe Cheick Diallo, cette édition est une invitation à réfléchir à la pratique artistique de la photographie en tant que courant de conscience, ainsi qu’à envisager la photographie au-delà du corset du photographe ; L’instant capturé par la photographie émane d’un flot de pensées et d’associations reflétant la voix intérieure du photographe, qui est inévitablement et constamment en mouvement.

Une exposition racontée en quatre vers

Environ 85 artistes de tout le continent africain et de la diaspora présenteront leurs projets artistiques.

La sélection artistique a donné lieu à quatre chapitres, chacun amenant le spectateur à son propre récit de courants de conscience. Les chapitres sont nommés d’après des vers tirés d’un poème figurant dans le prélude du Dilemme du fantôme, pièce de théâtre écrite par Ama Ata Aidoo.

Le bruissement soudain dans le sous-bois 

Sur la présence de l’invisible, de la distance et d’autres questions fantomatiques

Car la bouche ne doit pas tout dire 

Sur la politique et la poétique des écosystèmes

Nous sommes venus de gauche, nous sommes venus de droite 

Sur les déplacements, l’errance et les diasporas

La brindille ne nous percera pas les yeux 

Sur la possibilité d’espoir et l’avenir comme promesse

The Addis Foto Fest

The Addis Foto Fest is inviting submissions from photographers, photography collectives and curators from around the world for its 6th festival edition, which will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from December 3-7, 2020. The festival was founded in 2010 by Aida Muluneh and continues to be organised by the company she established, Desta (Developing and Educating Society Through Art) for Africa Creative Consulting.

Lagos Photo Festival 2019 October 25th – November 13th 

10 Years of Lagos Photo Festival

The main goal of the festival is to bring together a community of talented photographers from across the African continent. Passports is the theme of the 10th edition of LagosPhoto Festival and it intends to delve into the constraints and prospects of the most important official document a human being holds. This year’s edition aims to bring alive, an alternative global environment in which artists of different nationalities are invited to explore options of creating a fluid and permeable world, where nationality, gender, and historical imbalances are secondary. Through the course of a decade, the festival has proven to be a space where artists can meet on neutral ground to share ideas, innovation, and capacities. Thus, the jubilee edition especially concentrates on the reciprocal energies the festival has experienced in past years and will open the discussion of how we can create a flexible and more egalitarian world within the existing global restrictions. What are the options of living freely in a world that will be determined by borders?

LagosPhoto invited artists to consider the festival platform as a laboratory for ideas and a safe space for experimentation with open and transformative forms of identity, creating new categories of an international identity that allows for diversity. What kind of passport could certify and authorize these overarching values? The 10th edition of LagosPhoto presents artists who are able to raise relevant questions and propose possible answers or sustainable alternatives and who believe in a versatile world that is not based on utopias but routed in the way we already live.

This year edition hosts forty-five photographers including Adeoku Osibodu, Alexis Fiasco, Anaka, Chukwuma Nwobi, Dan Halter, Daveed Baptiste, Dustin Thierry, Ella Eduozor, Gaelen Pinnock, Halima Abubakar, Jamil G. Baldwin, Jenevieve Aken, Joana Choumali, Johnny Miller, Kelvin Haizel, Magda Biernat and Ian Webster, Mahmoud Hojeij, Maimouna Guerresi, Nelly Atina, Obayomi Anthony, Yinka Babalola etc.

What's On: September Round up of Exhibitions

Here’s our round up of September exhibitions and shows around the world you might want to see this month.

Meleko Mokgosi Democratic Intuition, Lerato: Philia I, 2016.
Two panels: oil on canvas. 96 x 198 1/2 inches.
© Meleko Mokgosi.

MUSEUMS

CAMEROON

Aujourd’hui (translated from French, Today), National Museum of Yaounde ; An exhibition curated by Simon Njami. Until 20 September 2019

A poetry from here, today and tomorrow. Njami asks to a selection of 30 Cameroonian artists, the question: what is TODAY? In a word TODAY is about transition. It’s important for the world and for the African continent to take part in this transition. Their response is the testimony of an established artistic modernity and a liberation of expression.

US & CANADA

The Way She Looks; A History of Female Gazes in African Portraiture, Photographs from The Walther Collection, Ryerson Image Centre, Toronto, Canada
11 September – 8 December 2019

Photographs from The Walther Collection. Exhibition features contemporary works by female artists, including Yto Barrada, Jodi Bieber, Lebohang Kganye, Zanele Muholi, Grace Ndiritu, and Nontsikelelo “Lolo” Veleko alongside 1950s studio portraits by such important historical figures as Malick Sidibé and Seydou Keïta, and nineteenth-century prints, cartes de visite, postcards, and albums. LINK

Africa State of Mind, Museum of African Diaspora, San Francisco, USA
4 September – 15 November 2019

Africa State of Mind, curated by Ekow Eshun with NAE, explores the work of an emergent generation of photographers from across the African continent. 16 artists from 11 different countries interrogate ideas of 'Africanness' through highly subjective renderings of life and identity on the continent, along the way revealing Africa to be a psychological space as much as a physical territory; a state of mind as much as a physical location. The exhibiting artists are: Emmanuelle Andrianjafy, Sammy Baloji, Raphaël Barontini, Neil Beloufa, Girma Berta, Eric Gyamfi, Kiluanji Kia Henda, Lebohang Kganye, Namsa Leuba, Michael MacGarry, Sabelo Mlangeni, Mimi Cherono Ng'ok, Musa N Nxumalo, Ruth Ossai, Athi Patra Ruga and Michael Tsegaye. LINK

I Am…Contemporary Women Artists in Africa, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, USA
20 June 2019 – 15 March 2020

Taking its name from a 1970’s feminist anthem, I Am… Contemporary Women Artists of Africadraws upon a selection of artworks by women artists from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art’s permanent collection to reveal a more contemporary feminism that recognizes the contributions of women to the most pressing issues of their times. With experimental and sophisticated use of diverse media, the 27-featured artists offer insightful and visually stunning approaches to matters of community, faith, the environment, politics, colonial encounters, racism, identity, and more.

GALLERIES

SOUTH AFRICA

Meleko Mokgosi

Objects of Desire, Addendum, at Stevenson Gallery: Exhibition : 7 – 25 October 2019

Objects of Desire, Addendum exists as a postscript to Mokgosi’s acclaimed, long-standing visual essay, Democratic Intuition, of which Comrades, exhibited at Stevenson, Cape Town, in 2016, was the second of eight chapters. Comprising painting and sculpture, Democratic Intuition questioned how one can approach the conceptual promises of democracy in relation to the daily lived experiences of the subjects that occupy southern Africa.

https://www.stevenson.info/gallery 

Adolf Tega

Africa Without Borders, at MOMO Gallery : Exhibition : 15 August – 14 September

The paintings in this series speak to utopias both real and imagined. Mwanawehvu (Son of the Soil) and After the Step Down commemorate Robert Mugabe’s resignation after three decades in power. This historical moment sparked a spontaneous sense of unity across Zimbabwe and its diasporas. 

https://gallerymomo.com/ 

UNITED KINGDOM

Boris Nzebo

Le Monstre de Nkolbong, at Jack Bell Gallery Exhibition : 6 – 20 September 2019, Private view : Thursday 5 September

Peju Alatise

Memoirs of the forgotten, at Sulger-Buel Gallery: Exhibition : 12 – 13 Oct

The Caine Prize Winner 2019 : Lesley Nneka Arimah

Founded in 2000, The Caine Prize for African Writing is a prestigious award whose aim is to bring African writing to a wider audience. The annual literary awards english speaking African authors published in Africa and elsewhere.

This year, the five-writer shortlist, featuring stories that tackle “the ordinary in an extraordinary manner” and celebrate the diversity of the African short-story writing tradition. The shortlist includes authors from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria, was announced by this year’s Chair of judges, Kenyan author Dr Peter Kimani.

This year, Nigerian writer Lesley Nneka Arimah has won the 2019 Caine Prize for African Writing - often described as Africa's leading literary award. Lesley Nneka Arimah (Nigeria) for ‘Skinned’, published in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Issue 53 (2018).

ABOUT MOSS

Moss is a literary festival, launched in October 2016, offering a library of more than 3,000 books available for consultation through a membership. Every year, six to seven literary meetings are organised and attended by about eighty people. MOSS also hosts talks through the association “Lire à Douala”.

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