LATE NIGHTS AND SUMMER EVENINGS

Early 2020 I got a bad art review. The review was about a work I had made in collaboration with two brilliant artists friends. We were proud of the project, had a great time working together and the review was problematic on so many aspects. Still it strongly affected me and took away parts of the pride I had surrounding the work. In 2021 I got another bad review. I was unbothered. Amused really. And it made me wonder, what had changed in that time span? 

This time the review was on my exhibition at Rogaland Kunstsenter. The works were centred around my mom Elimina and three members of her African community, Adebayo, Esi and Ramayu.

The work was made from a perspective of love and healing, focusing on members of this small community and expressing transformations and movements that brought them joy. My amusement was not from the fact that the reviewer complained after their expectations of being met with stories of «hardship and difficulties» were not met. Nor was it when the reviewer didn’t «understand» the work, not understanding that it referred to a non western art history. The thing that left me feeling unbothered was thinking back on the process of developing the work.

Thinking about my close friends (including the friends I share a studio space with) who visited my studio and brought good energy with them, while I was working on the sculptural elements. Anna helping me finish some of the amulets while I was sleeping. The caring conversations with Monia, Tore, Xenia and Noella about the work. Issa keeping me company on the train to pick up some silicon shapes. Roadtrip with Rose to pick up the finished aluminium sculptures. Staying at Kristoffer’s cosy farmhouse while editing.

Charles helping me with two days of transportation. Malvin assisting me for three days installing the exhibition. Ann Sophie helping me hang up elements that needed four arms. Shadé taking pictures on the opening night. My sibling David helping me through the whole process of making the works and him being the DJ at the opening. Everyone that attended the opening and all the love, tears and dance that was shared that evening.

No review, good or bad, could ever affect this.

My contribution to idoart.dk are fragments of valuable memories that were created in the process of working with art in 2021.

“driving in C’s car on our way to pick up some aluminium sculptures we joked about the absurdity of the awkward shyness in norwegian culture and he opened up and told me about somethings that had been weighing his heart.”

“late evening in D’s studio, talking about our fathers death and the racisme our mother experienced when she first came to norway.”

“a life long love traveled to attend my exhibition opening she met with E who was part of the project presented at the exhibition they immediately connected both having roots to the same west african country and it turned out E's husband was present when love was born.”

“stoned one summer night in the kitchen of K’s house in the middle of the woods I took a bite of the banana bread we had prepared the banana bread had wild blueberries in it that I had picked earlier that day.”

“after filming one morning me and N decided to go for dinner at dan africa my roomies sibling joined us and gave us wild mushrooms as a gift that day took an unexpected turn.”

“drinking bubble tea for the first time with S, now I think of her everytime I drink bubble tea.”

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I 2021/22 har idoart.dk fået en bevilling fra puljen Viden, dialog og debat under Statens Kunstfond. Over hele perioden vil midlerne gå til produktion af artikler med et særligt fokus på at give plads til nuancer og nye stemmer. Den artikel du lige har læst er blevet til takket være denne bevilling.

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