IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

'Forests and Spirits' is an exhibition curated by Roubi L’Roubi and presented by Foundation Gallery at the Saatchi Gallery in London. The exhibition displays the works of three Sudanese artists Salah Elmur, Kamala Ishaq and Ibrahim El-Salahi. These artists are known to be part of the Khartoum School, an art movement which centred around the city’s College of Fine and Applied Arts. In the exhibition, El-Salahi’s work is a sculpture inspired by the acacia tree in Sudan called Haraz. This tree...

Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga is one of the youngest African artists at the forefront of the contemporary art scene today. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eddy studied painting at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Kinshasa before leaving to work independently. In May 2018, he opened an exhibition 'Fragile Responsibility' at October Gallery. So we sat down to chat one Saturday morning, surrounded by the works in the exhibition. (This episode was done in French, stay tuned for the translated...

This episode is a very special one, as it is my dad's birthday this week! I wanted to surprise him by airing this interview we did last year. SURPRISE! Happy birthday dad! My father, Emmanuel 'Yaw' Obuobi was born in Ghana in July 1957, and graduated from the University of Science and Technology Kumasi in 1986. Yaw Obuobi is one of the most technically skilled colour theory based artists, who masterfully blends colours in ways you can only fully appreciate up close in person. Most recently,...

Dennis Osadebe is a Nigerian mixed-media artist best known for his vibrant pop art. Osadebe’s style is a unique blend of digital processes which he uses to create canvases that are subsequently layered with acrylic paint. We sat down in Red Door Gallery in Lagos to talk about how his entrepreneurial family influenced his artistic practice, and how he feels about African art. IN STUDIO with Sharon Obuobi is a series about the stories of art makers, curators and influencers who inspire...

Phoebe Boswell is an artist who combines traditional draftswomanship and digital technology to create drawings, animations and installations. In this episode, we talked about her experiences navigating cultural identities, how she explored the use of drawing techniques, and why the creative process has been a personal journey for her. 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....

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. In this episode, I chat with Serge Attukwei Clottey about the practice of performance as a way of life, traditional gender roles with ancestry, and how he engages his community with his work. Serge is known for his sculptural installations made from the pieces of yellow gallons. In his performance art, photography, and sculpture, he...

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. In this episode, I chat with my friend Nengi Omuku, an artist with a fascinating body of work, inspired by the politics of the human bodies, and the complexities of identity. Professionally trained at the Slade School of fine art in London, Nengi has also won scholarships and awards, including a British Council art award presented by...

In Studio with Sharon Obuobi is a series of conversations with artists, curators, influencers, exploring the process of art making. In this episode, I speak with Victor Ehikhamenor, a Nigerian artist who creates paintings, drawings, and installations. He combines patterns with abstract forms to create a unique style of contemporary works. Victor recently exhibited in the Nigerian pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale, where his work explored the themes of identity, history and spirituality....

In Studio with Sharon Obuobi is a series of conversations with artists, curators, influencers, exploring the process of art making. In this episode, I speak with Adebayo Bolaji, a London-based contemporary artist of Nigerian descent. Before becoming an artist, Adebayo studied acting at the London Central School of Speech and Drama. He performed at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Young Vic theatre, and in One Child - a BBC Two drama. He later became a self-taught artist citing his influences...

In Studio with Sharon Obuobi is a series of conversations with artists, curators, influencers, exploring the process of art making. In this episode, I speak with Joel Andrianomearisoa, a contemporary artist who works in a variety of media. We had a chat about his experiences as a Malagasy born artist living between Antananarivo and Paris, with the influence of migration and colonization on culture. Joel Andrianomearisoa has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institute, the SCAD Museum of Art,...

In Studio with Sharon Obuobi is a series of conversations with artists, curators, influencers, exploring the process of art making. In this episode, I speak with Atta Kwami, a Ghanaian painter, printmaker, independent art historian and curator. He trained and taught at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He wrote a book titled 'Kumasi Realism' which eexplored the evolution of traditional and modern art in Ghana. His work has been collected by the National...

In Studio with Sharon Obuobi is a series of conversations with artists, curators, influencers, exploring the process of art making. In this episode, I speak with Sokari Douglas Camp, a British-Nigerian artist who welds sculptures from steel. Sokari has received various awards which include the recipient of the 1982 Saatchi & Saatchi Aware, the 1983 Princess of Wales Scholarship and Henry Moore Foundation bursary, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2005. To see more of...