Cherry Aribisala’s Exploration of Mental Well-Being in Black Subjects; CAP Prize 2024 Shortlist; Taiwo Aina Receives Women Photograph 2024 Grant
“Color is a big part of my creative process,” she says. “The color and emotions that can come from different color combinations are very interesting and they inspire my work.”
Nigerian-born multidisciplinary artist Cherry Aribisala’s paintings explore how Black subjects can simply be. Having perfected the use of bold colors and cheerful compositions, the ambiguous nature of Aribisala’s works centers around the exploration of escapism, vulnerability, mental well-being, and emotional landscapes.
In this article, ‘Cherry Aribisala: Dreamscapes of Black Portraits,’ we spotlight Aribisala’s paintings and artistic practice.
Read the article here.
The 2024 Venice Biennale is still on! This year’s edition of the Venice Biennale marks the largest-ever participation by African countries in its 129-year history. Compared to the number of African national pavilions presented in 2022, which was only 9 in number, 13 African countries presented official National pavilions this year. Although 15 African countries were scheduled to participate, the Kenyan and Moroccan pavilions were cancelled for various last-minute reasons.
Titled ‘Foreigners Everywhere’, the exhibition was curated by Adriano Pedrosa, director of the São Paulo Museum of Art, and it features 331 artists and collectives exploring living on the margins as an outsider.
In this article, ‘Recap: Venice Biennale 2024,’ we highlight three of the National Pavilions we found fascinating.
Read the rest of the article here.
CAP PRIZE 2024 SHORTLIST
The shortlisted projects for the Contemporary African Photography Prize 2024 have been announced. These 25 shortlisted projects – in alphabetical order by artist– were chosen by a panel of 20 international judges.
The artists are Ammar Abdallah (Sudan), Massow Ka (Senegal), Adedolapo Boluwatife (Nigeria), Florence Cuschieri (France), Rehab Eldalil (Egypt), Arnold Fokam (Cameroon), Lina Geoushy (Egypt), Jonathan Jasberg (USA), Ahmed Khirelsid (Sudan), Skander Khlif (Tunisia), Christopher Littlewood (China), Thero Makepe (Botswana), Tshepiso Moropa (South Africa), Kriss Munsya (Congo), Neec Nonso (Nigeria), Dan Nelken (Palestine), Xoliswa Ngwenya (South Africa), Kalenga Nkonge (Zambia), Cletus Nelson Nwadike (Nigeria), Edward Prah (Ghana), Dione Roach (Italy), D.M. Terblanche (South Africa), Coenraad Torlage (South Africa), Farren Van Wyk (South Africa), and Khanya Zibaya (South Africa).
Read more about the shortlisted projects here.
Visual Storyteller Taiwo Aina Receives Women Photograph 2024 Grant
Nigerian visual storyteller and filmmaker Taiwo Aina has been awarded the Women Photograph Project Grant of $5,000 for her project, Game of Confidence.
Taiwo Aina is a freelance filmmaker and visual storyteller who specializes in documenting real-life experiences. She is based in Lagos, Nigeria and her work often focuses on societal issues that affect people's daily lives, with particular interest in women, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.
Game of Confidence is a visual project that explores the lives of six female boxers in Lagos. Exploring themes like gender equality and women’s empowerment, Taiwo’s goal was to showcase the beauty and importance of this sport, how it’s impacting the individual lives of these women, and show the struggles of what it takes to be a professional boxer in a big city like Lagos.
In celebration of the artist’s 90th birthday, October Gallery will show new paintings by Ghanaian-born artist Ablade Glover in a new solo exhibition. The exhibition, Inner Worlds, Outer Journeys, will be on view from July 4 to August 3, 2024.
Glover’s work reveals his vibrant passion for life, activity, and colour. Using warm impastoed pigments to express the sun and heat of his country, Glover depicts animated landscapes that mirror the exuberant diversity of Africa: its bustling market stalls, brightly attired crowds, and the dynamic energy that is Ghana.
“Glover’s latest show, Inner Worlds, Outer Journeys, traces an arc of development, which his younger self, setting out on a journey of inner and outer discoveries, might not have imagined he could ever achieve as part of the unfolding tapestry of an accomplished life in art.”
Artist Spotlight: Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum
Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum (b. 1980) was born in Mochudi, Botswana. In her drawings, paintings, installations, and animations, Sunstrum refers to mythology, ethnography, ecology, and quantum physics, among others. With influences from literature, cinema, theatre, and other forms of storytelling, Sunstrum is building a continuously growing story. Through a shadowy 'cast' of characters and alter egos, she explores elusive, but universal thoughts about being yourself and belonging; the feeling of belonging somewhere. Sunstrum places these figures in indefinable environments that appear both archaic and futuristic.
Her work includes imagery that reflects the diverse genealogies of her experience living in different parts of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the U.S. as well as ongoing research in ethnography, ecology, and quantum physics. The artist’s boundary-crossing practice centers Black female identity in the discourse of postcolonialism and neocolonialism, highlighting the contributions of overlooked historical figures while emphasizing modes of knowledge and communication beyond the status quo.
On view:
Shaping Grace and Disquiet: ERA Gallery announces a group show featuring works by Chidinma Nnoli and Michael Igwe in Milan. (June 20 - July 27, 2024).
We Are Briefly Gorgeous: Joy Labinjo presents a new body of work for Southwark Park Galleries’ 40th anniversary programme at the Lake Gallery. (July 6 - September 29, 2024).
Songs about Roses: The first-ever solo exhibition of Ibrahim Mahama in Scotland at Fruitmarket Gallery. (July 13 - October 6, 2024).
