Words by The Urban Journal
There’s something charming about the madness of the Parisian rush hour. It’s perfectly
chaotic, alarmingly dangerous and just damn right mad. I say this, because just 10 minutes
or so from the start of this very interview, I was stuck in it. My subjects – two artists
enrolled in the The Akoje Residency – are in Scotland, ready to shoot the breeze about
their placement in the programme, why it works, and why anyone who cares about
art should pay attention.
But before all that, monsieur Amar must get me back to the 7th Arrondissement on time
– and in one piece. He does, and after some oh-so-predictable tussle with the
wifi, we begin. First on the agenda is the residency itself – and, specifically, what
it actually involves. It’s the brainchild of Maro Itoje (as in, the England professional rugby
player) and Khalil Akar. Their dream is to become the largest art residency in the world,
“providing pathways for artists to extend and develop whilst encouraging cross-cultural
engagement, collaboration and creativity throughout the network”.
All sounds pretty swanky; so much so, that the King of England has joined in the fun: the
Akoje Residency and the Kings’s Foundation Artist in Residence programme is dishing
out eight fully funded residences each year, lasting three months each. Across my
screen are two of the eight: Kelly Omodamwen and Olawunmi Banjo. Both are from
Nigeria, and both have been flown in to take part in the programme.
For both, it was all about the journey. No man is an island – and neither, clearly, is art.
On the shift from Nigeria to Scotland, both had nothing but good things to say. It’s a
journey for sure, they say, but one that is fun and challenging in equal measure. “It’s
been interesting to experience different sides and be able to create from the experience
I am getting here – and the experience I have had from home”, says Kelly. Why? A
different environment brings with it new thoughts and perspectives, especially for an
artists, she says. Olawumni feels the same. The mere fact of being in another country
helps and challenges his process of creating art, he says.
So, the whole developing new skills through being in a different environment with
different people is working? Yes, both say, unable to hide the duh expression on their
faces. It’s no secret that the art world is a little exclusive, a world where names,
relationships and class count. Making it takes talent – but it also takes the right
environment and access to spaces where artistic talent can be spotlighted.
On that, Kelly and Olawumni have nothing but good things to say about the residency
programme. The opportunities, they say, are insane. Both give examples of what
securing a place – in what is a pretty competitive process – has done for their chances
of success. And Kelly goes further, pointing out the wonders it does for the
representation of African art and African artists.
And it is to this topic, I turn. It ain’t no big secret: African art has not – and does not –
always get the spotlight it deserves. Both agree, and there’s plenty of subject matter for
us to chat about when it comes to the lack of opportunities available for African artists to
showcase their art internationally.
For it all to work, you need not just the fancy galleries and workshops – you need a
sponsor, the sort of person (or people) who actually cares about the art and the artists
who create them. And so their praises turn to Maro Itoje, Khalil Akar and the King’s
foundation. The programme works, is working and will continue to work if the likes of Itoje and
Akar continue to give a damn about art – and more importantly, artists.
Art is essential. And for the people who create the art to continue to do so, residences like these
must continue to exist. Kelly and Olawumni will be gearing up for their big showcase,
after concluding their three-month stint at the residency. The benefits, they say, will last
a lifetime – not just for their art, but for their own development as people, too.
At the time of writing, Kelly and Olawumni’s time at the residency has concluded.
Minenkulu Ngoyi, a South African-based artist and Oshorenoya David Francis, a Nigerian
artists are now in residency. Nogyi’s work questions, ridicules, challenges and speaks
back to issues relating to colonialism. And Francis’ contemporary approach finds
inspiration in events and elements around his environment and the world at large, which
he visually expresses in his creations. Both, are examples of the residency’s mission
and its approach to spotlighting artistic talent – wherever they come from.
I guess whoever said “art is the highest form of hope” knew what they were talking
about.
All relevant links and information on the Akoje Residency and the artists’ work below