Simon Njami is a legend in my books, or as I put it simply - a curator extraordinaire. He is a writer, curator, lecturer, and art critic. Njami is the co-founder of Revue Noire, a journal of contemporary African art. He has also made history co-curating the first African Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale, and the first African art fair in Johannesburg n 2008. He's also curated multiple biennials in Dakar, Luanda, Douala, and Lumumbashi. We sat down to chat one Saturday morning about his journey as a curator and his passion for the future of art curators and artists in Africa.

IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi is a series about the stories of art makers, curators and influencers who inspire thoughtful perspectives on the world around us.

To see more from our interview, visit our Instagram page @InStudiowithSO. Learn more about us at www.instudiowithso.com.

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All views and opinions expressed by guests are their own.

Episode 18 - Simon Njami

Kudzanai-Violet Hwami is one of my favourite artists! Her bold coloured paintings vary primarily between portraits of family and nudes of the black body. She's inspired by Afropunk culture, and creates images by experimenting with photographs and digital collages to paint vivid artworks.

Violet has most recently exhibited at 'Les Ateliers de Rennes' - a biennial of contemporary art, 'Talisman in the Age of Difference' curated by Yinka Shonibare MBE. She has also been shown at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, and the Zeitz MOCAA.

I met with Violet in her studio at Gasworks where she is preparing for a solo show there in July 2019.

IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi is a series about the stories of art makers, curators and influencers who inspire thoughtful perspectives on the world around us.

To see more from our interview, visit our Instagram page @InStudiowithSO. Learn more about us at www.instudiowithso.com.

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All views and opinions expressed by guests are their own.

Episode 19 - Kudzanai-Violet Hwami

Hassan Hajjaj is a contemporary artist who lives and works between London and Marrakech. In his body of work, Hajjaj celebrates his nomadic lifestyle and the diverse people he meets - from musicians, to athletes, artists and performers. Hajjaj is influenced by his love for music - the hip-hop, reggae scenes of London - and popular music of Marrakech.

His work has been collected by the Brooklyn Museum, the Nasher Museum of Art, the Newark Museum, Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Victoria & Albert museum and Kamel Lazaar Foundation.

In 2017, Hassan Hajjaj photographed Cardi B for the November issue of New York magazine. Hassan invited me to his studio and we had a chat about his journey as an artist.

IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi is a series about the stories of art makers, curators and influencers who inspire thoughtful perspectives on the world around us.

To see more from our interview, visit our Instagram page @InStudiowithSO. Learn more about us at www.instudiowithso.com.

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All views and opinions expressed by guests are their own.

Episode 20 - Hassan Hajjaj

Arlene Wandera was born in Kenya and moved to the UK with her family before her teens. She holds a BA in Fine Art from the Slade School of Fine Art in London.

I first encountered Arlene's work at the Dak'Art Biennale in 2014. On view, was a stunning white painted doll's house with little human figures positioned on the windows, walls, and roof of the building.

Arlene also represented Kenya at the 57th Venice Biennale and was in the main exhibition at the Dak'Art Biennale in 2018. She recently exhibited at TAFETA gallery in London so we met to chat about it, and her journey as an artist.

IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi is a series about the stories of art makers, curators and influencers who inspire thoughtful perspectives on the world around us.

To see more from our interview, visit our Instagram page @InStudiowithSO. Learn more about us at www.instudiowithso.com.

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All views and opinions expressed by guests are their own.

Episode 21 - Arlene Wandera

Adelaide Damoah is a British artist of Ghanaian descent with a compelling body of work exploring themes of colour, race, and gender.

Before dedicating herself to being a full-time artist, Adelaide worked in the pharmaceutical industry specialising in a range of therapeutic solutions. After dealing with the chronic pain of endometriosis, she decided to dedicate her time to developing as an artist.

Adelaide cites her main influences as Judy Chicago, Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Hammons, Yves Klein, Sokari Douglas Camp, Rachel Ara, and Ana Mendieta. 

I met with Adelaide during her solo exhibition called 'Genesis' which was on view in London earlier this ear in October. Adelaide took me through the show and shared about her journey as an artist.

IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi is a series about the stories of art makers, curators and influencers who inspire thoughtful perspectives on the world around us.

To see more from our interview, visit our Instagram page @InStudiowithSO. Learn more about us at www.instudiowithso.com.

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All views and opinions expressed by guests are their own.

Episode 22 - Adelaide Damoah

Italian artist Thomas Marroni and French artist Romain Ouanely are an artistic duo called Marroni & Ouanely which they established in 2010. 

The exhibition 'Cagnara' unveils the Italian-French duo’s latest body of work, characterised by their strict collaborative process where both artists simultaneously paint each canvas using their less dominant hand. 

This performative practice incorporates the idea of error, scratches and scribbles on canvases recall elements of failure, rendering a narrative of abstract imperfections.

I met with the artistic duo on the morning of their opening at PUBLIC Gallery to discuss their collaborative art practice.

IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi is a series about the stories of art makers, curators and influencers who inspire thoughtful perspectives on the world around us.

To see more from our interview, visit our Instagram page @InStudiowithSO. Learn more about us at www.instudiowithso.com.

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All views and opinions expressed by guests are their own.

Episode 23 - Marroni & Ouanely (In English & French)

Ngozi Schommers is a Nigerian-born visual artist based in Germany. She experiments with various art mediums to explore socio-political, religious, cultural human experiences. 

I met with Ngozi in September 2018, a few days into her residency at Arthouse Foundation. Ngozi invited me over and we had a chat at her space on Awolowo Road. So if you listen carefully you’ll also hear the typical sounds of an afternoon in Lagos.

IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi is a series about the stories of art makers, curators and influencers who inspire thoughtful perspectives on the world around us.

To see more from our interview, visit our Instagram page @InStudiowithSO. Learn more about us at www.instudiowithso.com.

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All views and opinions expressed by guests are their own.

Episode 24 - Ngozi Schommers

In 'A Time for New Dreams' at the Serpentine Galleries, Grace Wales Bonner presents the first in a new series of unique projects in the fields of music, fashion, art and design. 

In this episode, we get a walking tour of the Grace Wales Bonner exhibition with Claude Adjil, Curator at Large, Live Programmes. The exhibition features Chino Amobi, Black Audio Film Collective, David Hammons, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Michael-John Harper, Liz Johnson Artur, Rashid Johnson, Kapwani Kiwanga, Klein, Laraaji, Eric N. Mack, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Ben Okri, Ishmael Reed, and Sahel Sounds.

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This episode was brought to you by Artist Rights Agency, which helps artists to receive royalty payments on works which are resold in the secondary market. Learn more at www.artistrightsagency.com.

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IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi is a series about the stories of art makers, curators and influencers who inspire thoughtful perspectives on the world around us. To see more from our interview, visit our Instagram page @InStudiowithSO. Learn more about us at www.instudiowithso.com.

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All views and opinions expressed by guests are their own.

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Cover Image: Darkroom Mirror, 2018. Copyright Paul Mpagi Sepuya. Courtesy the Artist

Episode 25 - Grace Wales Bonner at the Serpentine Galleries with curator Claude Adjil

In Studio with Sharon Obuobi is a podcast series about the stories of art makers, curators and influencers who inspire thoughtful perspectives on the world around us. The studio is a broad term referring to the artist working space, and the mental space for making and creating. Each episode is designed to stimulate open-minded conversation, and challenge listeners to see the world in new ways.

IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi

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