AFRO-PORTRAITISM: EXHIBITION

Art by Nxsh (Instagram: @nxsh), Afro-portraitism April, 2017

Hey Guys, Steph here again. A couple weeks ago I went for this exhibition at the Republic Gallery in East London and it was a one of kind exhibition. Artist, Designer and Curator, Hamed Maiye ( Instagram: @mai_ye) coined the term, "Afro-portraitism" for an art movement that captures black people in their various identities. It's a movement for black people by black people *cues F.U.B.U.* Maiye also happened to curate this exhibition which he also his work in and as you can imagine it was called "Afro-portraitism". It was an incredibly inspiring show with amazing energy in the gallery space and the works on display felt very introspective and self-reflective.



Some of my favs:

Lindo Khandela (Instagram: @khandelaart)
Untitled

The first thing that attracted me to this piece in particularly and also her section of the exhibition was the vibrant colours and patterns present in her work. At first sight of her pieces the images were distorted and were a crowd of colours but upon examination, I slowly picked shapes and objects in the frame. When I had discerned what was in the frame I felt like I was staring at a self-portrait. Because Khandela is brutally honest when presenting the image of herself, there was no way that I would not find parts of myself in her work beyond the surface. She writes in the afro-portaitism pamphlet, "The pieces I have created are representations of me that reflect on the things that are of significance to me and that influence my art practice".

Olivia Twist (Instagram: @yesoliviatwist)
What's Real To Me

Being, a Nigerian-Nigerian in London I could never really and truly fully grasp what it is like to be a Black British Londoner but somehow with her pieces, Olivia Twist managed to encapsulate a key part of what it means to be a Black British Londoner. With the man in the Nike puffer jacket in the foreground, the girl in braids in the mid and the hooded mystique in the background, the piece is so incredibly telling, it explores different characters within the black community by simply outlining their shapes and placing them carefully within the frame. She writes in the pamphlet, "It's 3:42 pm the PFC is ram. A quarter of the school is here. Quids in. But still, Bossman is being tight with the burger sauce again and doesn't let Shenikah off 10p." I don't have the exact image to match the description but let me attempt to break it down for you. School is done for the day and nearly everyone has gone to the chicken shop (PFC), Shenikah is missing 10p from her payment so the chicken shop owner is not letting her get off with that and he's also hoarding the sauce, maybe.

Joy Miessi (Instagram: @joymiessi)
Curled Series: Before. 

I think almost everyone has gone through or is going through a journey of self-acceptance, it's rough and it's tough, which is why this piece is so beautifully relatable. While she bares her insecurities, Miessi leaves you feeling like you're not alone on the journey of self-acceptance in this piece, "Before". The words "Before I would wish away these parts of me" are incredibly striking and tells all, really quite simply. The style of the piece as well, childlike and messy, gives a sense of vulnerability but also feel like they are straight from a journal which makes it feel very personal. She writes in the pamphlet, "'Curled' is a two-part series reflecting my own self-image. It is about the discussions I've had with loved ones about the moment of realisation, acceptance and self-love over parts of me that I once wished I could hide".

As you can guess, the exhibition featured very introspective, skin-shedding pieces which kinda egged me on to look into myself. It was truly beautiful. With this, I bid you adieu and see you next week x