REVIEWS & HIGHLIGHTS: Screening of DELA: The Making of El Anatsui
On November 7 2023, the Biographical Documentary "DELA: The Making of El Anatsui" was screened during the 12th Anniversary Edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in Lagos, Nigeria. Here are the highlights of the event.
By Fortune Ehiwayas, Lagos
Photo: Olumide Onafuwa
On November 7, 2023, "DELA: The Making of El Anatsui" screened at the recently concluded Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF). Here are some highlights from the event.
“Beautiful, beautiful.. Simply amazing
”
The 12th edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), themed Indigenous 2.0 to Global was held in Lagos, Nigeria on November 5-11, 2023. Filmmakers from over 150 countries submitted their narrative features, short films, animations, and documentaries. The selected films were screened at FilmHouse Landmark in Victoria Island, with industry wigs in attendance.
First-time director Oyiza Adaba, founder of Africa-Related, member of NYWIFT, NYFPC and producer of TV series Messengers, traces the early life and career paths of El Anatsui - one of the most revered and iconic art figures from Africa with a global impact. Of the documentary, she said, “I wanted to tell a story in colours - a reflection of the spirit of both the subject and our continent.”
One of Executive Producers and Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Olajide Bello and the editor Mr. Ayodele Banjo of TWPC, were both on hand to engage the audience in the Q & A session that followed the screening.
Attendees include academics from University of Lagos and Yale University, veteran actress Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, musician and saxophonist, Egypt 80’s Tajudeen ‘Baba Ani’ Animashaun, Jazz vocalist Yinka Davies, Genti Media’s Ojiugo Uche and Salma Uche-Okeke, daughter of Uche Okeke the Father of Modernist Art in Nigeria, who was also Anatsui’s employer at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) in 1976.
“I loved the way his story was told, taking away the political shenanigans and leaving the art. That is the beauty of it all
”
During the two-hour documentary, viewers were transported to various places of influence as seen in El Anatsui’s works - from his birth place in Anyako Ghana, to the locations where his art is displayed around the world.
Mrs. Salma Ifeoma Uche-Okeke expressed her immense pleasure from watching the “nostalgic” documentary and further touched on the sub-theme in the film, encouraging the young ones to maintain patience and character in whatever art they find pleasure; and hoped that more artists in Nigeria will enjoy this kind of exposure through film.
“... reflects the texture of both Africa and the global community”
About the Documentary
The biographical documentary chronicles the foundational influences of El Anatsui. From humble beginnings in Anyako Ghana, thus began an artistic journey that would redefine an art form, create a movement about art from Africa, and produce one of the greatest contemporary artists of our time.
The 2-hour documentary, which took 10 years to make was produced by Africa-Related, and directed by Nigerian journalist and producer Oyiza Adaba, in her directorial debut. The project is supported by Meridian Creative Centre, Jack Shainman Gallery NY, Faysal Khalil, Olajide Bello, Access Bank Ghana, 7-Up Bottling Company Nigeria.
Follow for updates - DELA: The Making of El Anatsui @elanatsuifilm
DELA: IN GLOBAL FILM FESTIVALS NOW
Book Presentation: BUT FOR GOD by Tom Adaba at LABAF 25th Edition
The 25th Edition of The Lagos Book & Art Festival (LABAF) holding at Lagos Freedom Park on November 13-19, 2023; promises to be a seven-day communal feast with top global literary giants.
Africa-related, new york
Book Cover: But For God by Aaze Tom Adaba. Published by Parrésia Publishers
The 25th Edition of The Lagos Book & Art Festival (LABAF) holding at Lagos Freedom Park on November 13-19, 2023; promises to be a seven-day communal feast with top global literary giants.
Tom Adaba Legacy Project invites you to a hybrid book presentation
CORA BOOK TREK 'The Joy of Reading' at Lagos Art & Book Festival (LABAF) presents the 2nd Edition Release of BUT FOR GOD by Aaze Tom Adaba (OON)
Date: Nov 18, 2023
Time: 05:00 PM (WAT)
Venue: CORA Library & Resource Centre, Freedom Park Lagos
Tom Adaba Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 893 8099 7152
Passcode: BFG
For more info visit www.tomadabalegacy.com
“This is a campaign for LITERACY with the aim of deepening EDUCATION, ENLIGHTENMENT and EMPOWERMENT – all in the cause of Nation-Building.”
LABAF 25.0
This 7-day extravaganza promises an immersive experience celebrating LIFE & IDEA through the instrumentality of the Arts. This is a campaign for LITERACY with the aim of deepening EDUCATION, ENLIGHTENMENT and EMPOWERMENT – all in the cause of Nation-Building. It's a communal feast not to be missed.
LABAF Zoom details:
Meeting ID: 83916542451
Passcode: LABAF25.0
Books featured at the 25th edition of LABAF 2023.
An Africa-Themed MET GALA? New Chief Mark Rollein Speaks
Max Hollein, Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, recently hosted members of The NY Foreign Press Center to a breakfast tour, and answered the burning question on every African fashionista’s mind.
By Oyiza Adaba, new york
The Met Fifth Avenue, New York. Photo Africa-Related
Max Hollein, Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, recently hosted members of The NY Foreign Press Center to a breakfast tour, and answered the burning question on every African fashionista’s mind.
Members of The NY Foreign Press Center at The MET briefing with Director Max Hollein. Photo Africa-Rleated
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the United States’ leading cultural institutions which boasts “over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy”, recently gave an exclusive opportunity for members of the Foreign Press to sit down with its Director and Chief Executive Officer Max Hollein to learn their latest news from the Met.
In the Q&A session that followed his remarks, Mr Holllein provided insights on his vision for The Met’s future and the role of a universal museum in the 21st century, and updates on the museum’s priorities, including new cultural property initiatives; post-COVID attendance/revenue recovery; efforts to address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access across themuseum’s collection, programming, and staff; the Museum’s $2B capital projects program, and a look ahead to upcoming exhibitions and events.
Questions from the international press centered around national interests and engagements opportunities, as well as reparations and returns of artworks with controversial aquisistion histories. Mr Hollein explained that The Met has doubled its efforts in protecting global heritage by streamlining its acquisition process with rigorous factchecking mechanisms that will serve both past and future purchases.
Max Rollein spekas on an Africa-themed MET Gala
THE MET GALA 2024
Theme: “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” Photo: Met Gala®
The Costume Institute Benefit, also known as The Met Gala®, will take place on May 6 2024. Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion is the 2024 theme that will explore notions of rebirth and renewal, using nature as a metaphor for the impermanence of fashion
Exhibition Dates: May 10–September 2, 2024
Exhibition Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, The Tisch Galleries, Gallery 899, Floor 2
“Over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy”
INSIDE THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ARTS
AFRIFF Selects Biographical Documentary DELA To Screen At 12th Edition
The Biographical Documentary "DELA: The Making of El Anatsui" has been selected to screen in the 12th Anniversary Edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF). The screenings will take place in Lagos, Nigeria, scheduled to run from Nov. 5th-11th, 2023.
By Africa-related, new york
"DELA: The Making of El Anatsui" has been selected to screen in the 12th Anniversary Edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF). The screenings will take place in Lagos, Nigeria, scheduled to run from Nov. 5th-11th, 2023.
“DELA”
AFRIFF SCREENING DATE
Tuesday Nov 7, 2023
2:30 - 5:30PM (WAT)
FILMHOUSE LANDMARK CENTRE, LAGOS
About the Documentary
The biographical documentary chronicles the foundational influences of El Anatsui. From humble beginnings in Anyako Ghana, thus began an artistic journey that would redefine an art form, create a movement about art from Africa, and produce one of the greatest contemporary artists of our time.
The 2-hour documentary, which took 10 years to make was produced by Africa-Related, and directed by Nigerian journalist and producer Oyiza Adaba, in her directorial debut. The project is supported by Meridian Creative Centre, Jack Shainman Gallery NY, Faysal Khalil, Olajide Bello, Access Bank Ghana, 7-Up Bottling Company Nigeria.
Follow for updates - DELA: The Making of El Anatsui @elanatsuifilm
screening schedule
THE MUSON CENTER - Akintola Williams' Parting Gift To Nigeria
The Musical Society of Nigeria Center otherwise called The MUSON Center, sits in Onikan Lagos and stands out as a cultural icon in the overall Nigeria art space. Mudiare Onobrakpeya reflects on the undeniable impact of its founder, Chief Akintola Williams at his funeral in Lagos. Thank you for The MUSON Center. Rest in peace Sir. From all art lovers and us at Africa-Related
The Musical Society of Nigeria Center otherwise called The MUSON Center, sits in Onikan Lagos and stands out as a cultural icon in the overall Nigeria art space. Mudiare Onobrakpeya reflects on the undeniable impact of its founder, Chief Akintola Williams at his funeral in Lagos. Thank you for The MUSON Center. Rest in peace Sir. From all art lovers and us at Africa-Related
By Mudiare Onobrakpeya
Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya MNON signs the Condolence register of Mr. Anintola Williams. Photo by BOF
Renowned artist, Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya MNON, made a solemn visit to the MUSON Center in Lagos. His purpose was to sign the Condolence register that had been opened to honor the memory of Mr. Anintola Williams, the founder of Muson and a distinguished patron of the arts.
Prof. Onobrakpeya, known for his contributions to the world of art, expressed his deep appreciation for the profound impact Mr. Williams had on the art community during his lifetime. As he carefully inscribed his name and heartfelt message in the register, he remembered the man who had been an unwavering supporter of the arts.
Mr. Williams had a unique ability to connect with artists and nurture their talents. He was not just a patron; he was a mentor and a friend. His warmth and generosity had touched the lives of many, including Prof. Onobrakpeya, who had shared countless conversations and artistic insights with him over the years.
As Prof. Onobrakpeya placed his signature on the page, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. Mr. Williams had been a guiding light, and his passing left a void in the art world that would be difficult to fill. But as he stood there surrounded by the beauty of the Muson Center, he knew that Mr. Williams' legacy would live on through the artists he had inspired and supported.
In that moment, amidst the somber atmosphere, Prof. Onobrakpeya found solace in the fact that the art community would continue to thrive, thanks to the enduring impact of Mr. Anintola Williams and his unwavering love for the arts.
SPIKE LEE Exhibits "A Collection That Could Fill The BROOKLYN MUSEUM"
And with those words, The Brooklyn Museum took on the challenge thrown by the legendary Spike Lee - to curate his life's works as filmmaker and cultural icon, in an exhibition themed "Creative Sources"
And with those words, The Brooklyn Museum took on the challenge thrown by the legendary Spike Lee - to curate his life's works as filmmaker and cultural icon, in an exhibition themed "Creative Sources"
by oyiza adaba, New York
Photos BY Africa-related
Filmmaker & Director Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee, whose rich 40-year career produced unforgettable classic motion pictures like “Do the Right Thing”, “Jungle Fever” “Malcom X” and “4 Little Girls”. Photo from “Creative Sources” exhibition.
BROOKLYN MUSEUM
October 7, 2023 -February 4, 2024
The exhibition boasts over 350 works drawn from his personal collection, including atworks by prominent Black American artists, including Kehinde Wiley, Deborah Roberts, and Michael Ray Charles, displayed alongside instruments once owned by legendary musicians like Baba Olatunji and Prince. Historical and contemporary photographs, sports and movie memorabilia come together to reveal the connections among the people, places, and ideas that have fueled Spike Lee’s incisive and illustrious storytelling career.
Introduction to actress Rosie Perez in “Do The Right Thing” Video: “Creative Sources“ Exhibition
Photos from SPIKE LEE’s CREATIVE SOURCES
YUSUF HUSSEIN: Talking Drummer from Ghana
NEW YORK CITY: Africa-Related caught up with musician Yusuf Hussein from Ghana. He and his vocalist played a short piece on his talking drum and sang in Hausa language extolling the virtues of doing good. (Video by Africa-Related)
WHEY HAM - A Son of HAM Investigates Africa's Oldest Civilisation
Whey Ham is a new documentary narrated by Yahaya Maikori, an entertainment lawyer turned filmmaker and 'son of the soil', that investigates the global spread and undeniable impact of the Nok Culture - Africa's Oldest Civilisation.
by Oyiza adaba, New york
Photos Courtsey of Whey Ham
“Whey Ham”
“Son(s) of Ham” refers to the Ham ethnic group in Southern Kaduna, who occupy the very land where the remarkable Nok terracotta artworks emerged.
Whey Ham Poster
If you are a fan of history, archeological discoveries and artifacts, "Whey Ham" is an artistic piece of storytelling worth forward to. This new documentary, as told by a 'son of the soil', investigates the ancient Nok Culture and its global spread and impact.
The documentary is a personal journey to discovery the captivating world of the Nok Culture, a fascinating and mysterious civilization that thrived over two thousand years ago in what is now Jaba Local Government, Kaduna State in northern Nigeria.
Join a mesmerizing expedition through time that explores the Nok Culture’s technological breakthroughs in iron metallurgy, their illustrious terracotta artistry, and enduring legacy that continues to astonish and inspire generations.
The documentary is narrated by Yahaya Maikori, a prominent entertainment attorney, who is also a direct descendant of the keepers of the tradition and describes himself as an “amateur historian”, . Maikori’s narration provides viewers with firsthand information and rare glimpse of the share scale, offering a unique and insightful perspective into the Nok Culture.
Producer’s Statement
The documentary, which will be released in late 2023, was produced by Definitiv Media Limited, has Ed Keazor as Director (‘January 15, 1970: Untold Memories of the Nigeria – Biafra War’, ‘120 Great Nigerians We Never Knew'); Chigozie Odo and Charles Ezeike (Directors of Photography) and Yahaya Maikori as the Executive Producer. It also features prominent sons and daughters of Ham like His Royal Highness, The Kpok Ham; Archeologist Angela Rackham and daughter of British archaeologist Bernard Fagg who spent time in Nigeria in 1940’s studying Nok; as well as some of the world's foremeost scholars.
Whey Ham Production Photos
Highlights: The New York Armory Show 2023
One of New York’s biggest art fairs designed to bring together global exhibitors
One of New York’s biggest art fairs designed to bring together global exhibitors just wrapped on a high note.
by oyiza adaba
Photos BY Africa-related
Oyiza Adaba Reports. Video by Africa-Related
The Armory Show takes place at the Javitzs Center annually. The 2023 featured exhibitors like Yinka Shonibare, Ouattara Watts, Ko Gallery, Modupeola Fadugba, Kavita Chellaram, Jean Chen, Soleymane Keita, Marie-Claire Messouma MANLANBIEN, Cecil Fakhoure and more
Check out more exhibitors here
Photos from The 2023 New York Armory Show
Don’t Stop Believing by Modupeola Fadugba
”When I left my career in education 10 years ago to become a full-time professional artist, I had no idea that my core “why,” my passion for learning and teaching would still manifest in my new vocation.
Last year, I built this swimming pool in Ibadan, Nigeria and people have since come from all walks of life to learn how to swim. And not only to swim- to dance and dive- courageously, skillfully, and even artfully. I’ve had many career milestones and reasons to celebrate, but this one in particular, makes the journey of my life make sense. I’ve had this reel in my drafts since December, and each time I watch it, particularly when things don’t make sense, I’m reminded to keep believing, to keep swimming. Today, I wanted to share.”
Synchronized swimming-inspired artworks
KHALIL GIBRAN - A Greater Beauty in Words and Drawings
The name Khalil Gibran usually sparks a conversation about his popular 1923 book, The Prophet, but this world renowned Lebanese American author is also known as a powerful artist, poet and essayist.
Welcoming Picture at The Drawing Center New York. The famous photo with a book taken in 1839 of the young Lebanese immigrant Kahlil Gibran at age 14, by F Holland Day who funded and guided his education.
By Oyiza Adaba
Africa-Related New York
An Exhibition
July 11 - September 10 2023
The name Khalil Gibran usually sparks a conversation about his popular 1923 book, The Prophet, but this world renowned Lebanese American author is also known as a powerful artist, poet and essayist. A Greater Beauty: The Drawings of Kahlil Gibran is an exhibition which features over one hundred of his works, and coincides with the 100th anniversary of this world-renowned publication.
Five artists came together to celebrate the art of Khalil Gibran at the The Drawing Center, where a collection of his drawings, writings and poetry are currently exhibiting.
Readings from various writings of poetry by Arab and Arab American artists like Nuar Alsadir, the poet and nonfiction writer who has authored books like “Animal Joy”, and Adam Bakri, a celebrated Palestinian actor and son of a prominent actor who has starred with Keira Knightley in “Official Secrets” and is unforgettable in his compelling performance in the film Omar. Mona Kareem has written three poetry collections, and her works have been translated into nine languages. She is the recipient of several awards including the 2021 National Endowment Grant.
Palestinian-American writer performance artist Fargo Nassim Tbakhi also featured with his provoking pieces, while the award winning Syrian-born New-York-based rapper and spoken word artist Omar Offendum closed out the show with a powerful rendition from his critically acclaimed theatrical performance titled Little Syria. Influenced by the work of Gibran and the Arab light writers, Offendum engaged the audience in a sing along, weaving Gibran’s poems together with his own musical repertoire.
Omar Offendum - The result was a spiritual evening - not in a religious sense, but in a deeply personal interpretation and presentation of Gibran’s works by participating artists.
Curating Conflicts
Curator Claire Gilman delivering her opening remarks
In her opening remarks, lead curator Claire Gilman touched on the conflicts Gibran faced in his life, which caused him to be described as a non sectarian mystic, self oriented writer and visual artist with a foot in both Arab and Euro American culture. He was a proud Arab, Maronite Christian, a Syrian patriot who wrote in English and Arabic, and he continued to be outspoken with his support for great Syrian and pan Arab states until his death on April 10, 1931.
He came to America as a political refugee, and the conflicts that he faced settling into this new world, reflected so deeply in his writings and his works. According to their essay, Gilman and her co-curators, scholar Nika Lanson, Joseph Geagea, Director of the Gibran Museum in Bsharri, Lebanon, alongside three other contemporary artists, explored Gibran’s search for universal truths that transcends cultural religious boundaries, his rejection of modernism for a uniquely egalitarian Universalist aesthetic, his deep investment in the political issues of the day, and his acutely felt responsibility to the homeland while making his way as an immigrant into a new world.
THE PROPHET
by Khalil Gibran
First Publication: 1923
Translations: 100 languages
Sold: 10 million copies worldwide
Artist from Israel Yifat Bazelel sits in front of The Drawing Center, New York
NY-based Sculptor & Designer Ogundipe Fayomi listens intently inside The Drawing Center.
Danielle Aldouby - Art instructor at Columbia University Teachers College leaving the The Drawing Center
The Drawing Center has been a New York City staple for over five decades. It put together this ambitious scale exhibition with several partnerships such as Dominique Levy and the Andy Warhol Foundation for visual arts and several others.
Khalil Gibran the popular poet who wrote the classic book The Prophet in 1923 that is popularly used in wedding vows, but did you know he was also a visual artist known for his signature use of bright sky blue water colors?
〰️
Khalil Gibran the popular poet who wrote the classic book The Prophet in 1923 that is popularly used in wedding vows, but did you know he was also a visual artist known for his signature use of bright sky blue water colors? 〰️
Photos by Africa-Related
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The 25th Edition of Bruce Onobrakpeya's Harmattan Workshop Retreat
The 25th edition of Bruce Onobrakpeya's Harmattan Workshop Retreat recently took place on August 13-25 2023 at the Onobrakpeya's Art Center in Agbarha-Otoh Delta State, Nigeria.
by Oyiza adaba
The 25th edition of Bruce Onobrakpeya's Harmattan Workshop Retreat recently took place on August 13-25 2023 at the Onobrakpeya's Art Center in Agbarha-Otoh Delta State, Nigeria.
“The Harmattan Workshop brings people together... and in that way, friendship is created and that friendship actually leads to the general peace of the world.
”
The elder statesman and legendary artist was on ground to teach and learn from a diverse group of participants, from international students, historians and visiting Nation Youth Service Corp members stationed in the state.
Retreat activities during the annual two-week hiatus include much needed rest, guided tours, discussions and ongoing creating art processes.
Following the successful conclusion of The Harmattan Workshop Retreat in Agbarha-Otoh and ahead if his 91st birthday, Sir Bruce Onobrakpeya reflects on how the sense of feeling has kept him and his art going.
Video Source: Business Africa Initiative
Photos Courtesy of BO Foundation
Fela Kuti And His Politics
Fela Kuti was one of the most significant musical icons in the history of black music. Born on September 21, 1938, Fela grew up during a time of change in Africa. After colonial rule by European nations ended and independence was achieved, the country’s new leaders began asserting a socialist economic system that critics claim caused widespread poverty and corruption.
FELA: The Funky Jazz Man
He created Afrobeat by fusing traditional West African talking drums with American funk, jazz, and soul.
By Fortune Ehiwayas
FELA: The Funky Jazz Man
Fela Kuti was one of the most significant musical icons in the history of black music. Born on September 21, 1938, Fela grew up during a time of change in Africa. After colonial rule by European nations ended and independence was achieved, the country’s new leaders began asserting a socialist economic system that critics claim caused widespread poverty and corruption.
Such injustices inspired Fela to speak out against his native country’s government and provide hope for Africans who felt despair at social ills like famine, poverty, and a lack of education. Although many know about his political activism, few are aware of his prodigious musical talent as well as his innovative contributions to Afrobeat music that have influenced international musicians such as Michael Jackson and Bob Marley.
Fela was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, where his father was a famous Nigerian barrister and champion for human rights. As a child, Fela took great interest in both his mother’s speeches and his father’s legal work. Although he received a degree in accounting, Fela began playing music at night while working during the day. He formed The Koola Lobitos before founding an Afrobeat band that came to be known as The Africa 70, which also included his wife at the time, Remi (Remigius) Cardoso, whom he met when she was traveling back to Nigeria from abroad.
Although Fela was not the first African musician to incorporate jazz into his music, he was one of the first to create a new sound called Afrobeat by fusing traditional West African talking drums with American funk, jazz, and soul. His version of Afrobeat music provided hope for Africans struggling under their government’s corruption, as he openly criticized officials in many of his songs.
Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Pansa Pansa 1/2 (Berlin 1978)
He strongly believed that the politicians and military leaders in Africa were taking advantage of low-income families, and their hope for political change led to his involvement with the Koola Lobitos, a group that played jazz at nightclubs around Nigeria.
In 1960, Fela and his group The Koola Lobitos began playing a mixture of indigenous rhythms and jazz with heavy influence from American soul music in Lagos nightclubs. They were also involved in extracurricular activities like union organizing against the Nigerian police force as well as organizing food drives for students and poor citizens. He was arrested once for performing "Alagbon Close" ("Agbon Close") in 1962 about government corruption.
FELA! on Broadway was a theatrical musical biopic that successfully toured globally
Fela Ransome-Kuti And Africa ’70 with Ginger Baker - Live! (1971) full Album
PALEY Museum Exhibits WILL & GRACE 25th Anniversary
Fans of the 1990s TV series WILL & GRACE get immersed in an exhibition at PALEY Media Center to celebrate it’s 25th anniversary
Few television shows have left a lasting legacy, as the Universal Television series for NBC - Will & Grace, did after its acclaimed debut on September 21, 1998.
by oyiza adaba
Photos BY Africa-related
The Paley Museum, 25 W 52 Street, NYC
Exhibition Entrance
PRESS RELEASE
Paley Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Will & Grace
Get ready to immerse yourself in the world of Will & Grace with a must-see exhibit that kicks off the Paley Pride celebration! Few shows have left as lasting a legacy on television a Universal Television series for NBC did after its acclaimed debut on September 21, 1998. The Universal Television's series helped to pave the way for greater recognition of the LGBTQ+ community on television with two gay leading roles starring in a prime-time comedy for the first time. Over the course of its eleven-season run, Will & Grace shattered stereotypes and prejudices about the community, bringing a relatability, authenticity, and complexity to these characters that millions of people could embrace, while also winning critical acclaim.
The inspiring success of Will & Grace has had a profound influence on the industry. In the years since, Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, has produced numerous acclaimed series that spotlight nuanced characters embodying a broad range of the diversity of the LGBTQ+ experience.
So come sit in Café Jacques and grab a photo or pose on the iconic couch in Will and Grace's living room using our photo booth for a souvenir photo with digital frame. See original costumes from the characters Will, Grace, Jack, and Karen, plus costumes from Universal Studio Group's shows that followed in the footsteps of Will & Grace’s, including Hacks, The Umbrella Academy, Never Have I Ever, and Harlem. The exhibit is a fantastic way to learn and appreciate the impact that Will & Grace had on LGBTQ+ representation in TV.
Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in 1975 by CBS founder William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator with an objective to make sure that programming was being preserved in order to preserve our own cultural history. Since then it has amassed in its collection, over 160,000 programs and advertisements, covering more than 100 years of television and radio history. The Center also boasts significant international presence, with seven thousand assets from 70 countries.
Learn more here
Photos from The WILL & GRACE 25th anniversary exhibition at the parley museum in new york
BOLD AND BRAZEN - The Jaw-Dropping Art of WANGECHI MUTU
I finally made it to the last day of the ”Intertwined” exhibition by Wangenchi Mutu, the Kenyan born American visual artist, painter and sculptor, whose thirty year body of work showed at The New Museum in the Bowery district of New York from March to June 4, 2023.
By Oyiza Adaba
Africa-Related New York
Wangechi Mutu “Intertwined” at The New Museum. Photo by Africa-Related
“I went to a Catholic school and we were all girls. I was surrounded by women, women teachers, women students, the Virgin Mary - all kinds of feminine energy.”
I finally made it to the last day of the ”Intertwined” exhibition by Wangechi Mutu, the Kenyan born American visual artist, painter and sculptor, whose thirty-year body of work showed at The New Museum in the Bowery district of New York, from March to June 4, 2023. I was left with a mixture of shock, strength, pride, fascination and inspiration. Never have I seen mud, clay and feathers look this good.
On Woman
“It's an eternal source of inspiration for me. The way we worship the image of the woman but denigrate the actual human being of woman - that schism bothers me” - Wangechi Mutu
Fifty year-old Mutu, whose art career started in the mid-90s with painting and collages, later became known for her works in sculpture, film, performance arts. She often shuttles between her studios in Nairobi and New York, from where she draws two different types of creative energies.
Crocodylus
The magnificent 6 ft.1 half-woman-reptile bronze sculpture influenced by the artist's memories of the Kenyan wilds. Photo by Africa-Related
Crocodylus
In August 2022, The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) announced the acquisition of Crocodylus, the magnificent 6 ft.1 half-woman-reptile bronze sculpture influenced by the artist's memories of the Kenyan wilds. While critics challenge her for ‘objectifying women’ in her works, Mutu credits her creativity to anatomy images she read in her mother's science books growing up; combining her love for nature and plants and animals, insects and sci-fi in thematic works - where the female character, form or subject “remains central”. She continues to use the feminine form to highlight social issues around casualties of war, harmful practices, rape, and the environment.
The Sentinels
The Sentinels
“The Sentinels is sort of this regal figure who is standing representing a female Divine Feminine. I want to make sure that she is absolutely stable and that she's able to stand… guarding.”
The Sentinels
Guarding Regal Figures
The Sentinels
“I want to make sure that she is absolutely stable and that she's able to stand… “
It has been a fantastic ride since Wangechi Mutu’s first solo exhibition in the U.S at the National Museum of Art in 2013. Her works have shown at notable spaces from the Tate Modern, Art Studio Museum and MoMA, Modern Art Contemporary Austin and the Art Museum Gallery of Ontario, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and has participated in the Venice Biennale. Mutu also founded the Africa Out organization, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that supports artists around Africa.
Stay tuned: Wangechi Mutu upcoming episode on Messengers Season 3.
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Tradition, Oh My Love - Art Therapy at El Borinquen Residence
If you are looking for a prime example of how art can be used as therapy in the healing of both mind and body, look no further than the El Borinquen Residence located in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx.
By Oyiza Adaba
Photo: Africa-Related
If you are looking for a prime example of how art can be used as therapy in the healing of both mind and body, look no further than the El Borinquen Residence located in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx. The colorful facade of the newly constructed 148-apartment building stands out, in sharp contrast to standard aesthetics of the South Bronx. Added to that are brightly painted murals in the hallways by artists Aurelio del Muro and Martha Blain, which give the feel of walking through an aquarium of culture.
“Tradition, Oh My Love”, an exhibition that just wrapped featured artists whose works were based on or influenced by folk art. Blanka Amezkua, a New York City based contemporary artist who herself combines diverse fusions in her art, curated the art space in the lobby of the building to be just as colorful visually and mentally.
From February to May, 2023, artists of Latin American descent with deep roots in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Mexico, presented works that establish the connection of color, rhythm and emotion. The group include Tanya Torres, Diego Espalliat, Gabriel García Román, Mercedes Molina, Julio Rodríguez, Itzy Ramírez, Matilde Merced María Nasio, Yoloxochilt Marcelino Cano, Quito/Ecuador, Michael Vásquez.
Beyond aesthetics, El Borinquen serves a higher purpose, as a refuge offering supportive services to New York City’s homeless and mentally ill population. At the 2021 opening, New York City Mayor Eric Adams described it as the blueprint to treating “homelessness as a housing problem”. Further stating, "With the completion of the El Borinquen Residence, more of our neighbors experiencing homelessness and mental illness will have a place they can call home.”
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Bronx Council on the Arts - Grants Award Celebration Show How Philanthropy Supports Community Art
The BCA is a non-profit organization. Just like all the other art cooperatives in New York City's five boroughs, it raises money and provides a venue for the borough's resident artists to flourish. On May 9th, more than 50 people gathered to witness artists and community leaders receive grant funding.
By Oyiza Adaba with Fortune EhiwayAs
Photo: Africa-Related
The Bronx Council on the Arts is a place where community arts and philanthropy connect
The BCA is a non-profit organization. Just like all the other art cooperatives in New York City's five boroughs, it raises money and provides a venue for the borough's resident artists to flourish. The Council’s calendar of activities is a clear testament to the residents artistics resources.
On May 9th more than 50 people gathered to witness artists and community leaders receive grant funding at an in-person celebration that was held at the BCA headquarters in the Bronx's East Tremont district. Amid light refreshments and a performance by a Japanese American artist who combined American culture with Japanese art; grantees, jury members, and officials from the art financing and community art space also took the opportunity to network.
Programs Manager, Dionne Dauxy, presented 45 awards totaling about 60,000 USD to selected candidates. They include individuals and groups who support art in a variety of disciplines, such as music, visual arts, art education/promotion, film, poetry, etc.
BCA Executive Director Viviana Bianci spoke on the value of the council's work in raising finances and public awareness while decrying the ongoing financial cuts to the arts. Jazz saxophonist and jury member Mr. Tyrone Brikett described the ceremony as "a rewarding experience for any artist".
A number of the grant recipients that Africa-Related spoke with commended the initiative and the impact of the funds. Blanka Amezkua, a Mexican-American contemporary artist who runs AAA3A believes artists in the Bronx are the most overlooked. Her grant money will ensure she continues her home-based artist-run project which offers food, dialogue, workshops and art.
More than 50 people gathered to witness artists and community leaders receive grant funding at the BCA headquarters in the Bronx's East Tremont district.
During the 2023 edition of iRep, the annual documentary festival in Nigeria, which had its focus on documenting underserved stories, filmmakers and art promoters alike all cited the lack of funding as the major challenge in any art space.
Because of this, many projects fizzle out or get stuck for a very long time. Organizations like the Bronx Council on the Art have fantastic models to follow in a time when creators must manage their business affairs while maintaining their creative abilities.
For more information, visit bronxarts.org
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Decolonizing African Royalty - The Art of Erasmus Onyishi
Marcos de Castro is a New York-based photographer who enjoys capturing cultural and natural elements in his works. His images put the viewer right in the midst of real people, places and experiences he is capturing.
by africa-related
Photos by Artist
Erasmus ONYISHI is a former student of the world renowned professor of Sculptor El Anatsui. He graduated from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and is the recipient of several awards including the Nigerian Breweries sponsored National Art Competition (NCA) in 2014. Like his artistic mentor, Onyishi continues to voice through his arts that nothing is neither waste nor to be wasted..
Decolonizing African Royalty by Erasmus Onyishi
CULTURAL EXCHANGE At The New York French American Charter School
Storytelling and weaving lessons from Nigeria to New York. Africa-Related visited the The New York French American Charter School, a tuition free bilingual charter school located in an iconic 120th Street neighborhood in Harlem, New York.
OYIZA ADABA Africa-Related, NEW YORK
and Rosemary Onubaiye, Okene nigeria
Storytelling and Weaving Lessons from Nigeria to New York
Africa-Related visited the The New York French American Charter School, a tuition free bilingual charter school located in an iconic 120th Street neighborhood in Harlem, New York.
The 6:30 am calm in the quiet street and hallways before the bustle of drop offs was quite evident, The hallways filled up quickly, and by 8:00 AM, children from different parts of the world - every continent easily represented from pre kindergarten through to eighth grade - were seated in class.
The NYFACS, which operates with semi-public semi-private status (Charter School) fosters a culture of inclusion and through its rigorous curriculum, students are provided the skills and learning experiences for both academic and life achievements.
Oyiza Adaba reading TITINKORI FOLKTALES FROM EBIRALAND to the second graders at NYFACS
Art teacher, musician and friend Mr. Daniel Villeneuve invited me to spend a morning with the second graders as part of a cultural exchange initiative to promote art, education and artistic children. I was honored to teach about two distinct cultures in Ebiraland -TITINKORI storytelling and ITINOCHI - cloth weaving. and our work with fellow students at St. John Bosco Comprehensive Secondary School, Okene Kogi State. Nigeria
After attentively listening to The Tortoise and The Hare, we exchanged ideas on lessons and morals, then proceeded to learn more about weaving of the Ebira woven cloth, which they happily modelled. The drawings and illustrations from participating schools will be published in an upcoming book, with part proceeds going to charities.
Mr. Bertrand Tchoumi, the ever-welcoming director said the school is continuously expanding and in 2022 its second location at 2108-2118 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard, close to the legendary Apollo Theatre. The famous building known as Alhambra Hall, was a historical ballroom that hosted great jazz legends like Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith.
The school prides itself with ensuring that its work reflects in the full diversity of the district community school district, and providing the students with added opportunities for learning from each other.
Students are taught subjects like visual arts, music appreciation, talent development, PE, life skills etc in French and English.
‘Titinkori’ Project
This is a new Story/Picture/Audio Book is a collection of stories about the Ebira people located in Okene Kogi State, central Nigeria curated by Oyiza Adaba. The project features a selection of over 20 folktales, stories, songs, parables etc told by a respected crop of elders and storytellers from Ebiraland. They include Mallam Ibrahim Abdulkadir Ogirima, Mr. Sanni Aminu Atima (Ohida) and HRH Samuel Adai Onimisi (Obobanyi of Ihima). Some of the stories are Adeji (The Hare), The Farmer and the Bird (Okasime), The Farmer and his Disobedient Son, The Poor Widow, Her Son and The Hunter etc. Learn more about 'Titinkori' here
Students at St. John Bosco Comprehensive Secondary School, Okene Kogi State Nigeria during a story-telling class delivered by Mallam Ibrahim Abdulkadir Ogirima. Photo: Africa-Related
Historian: Son of late Yusuf Utohu, a male weaver in Ebiraland
The project is seeking young Onabolus and Antubams globally schools and art classes, to accompany each story with their drawings and illustrations. The artistically gifted children are selected from schools in Okene, Lagos, Abuja, and New York.
The final work products include a published book, audiobook, music, and exhibitions to showcase artworks, publicity/launch events, community service and charity donations.
This project's objectives are documenting and preserving tradition, teaching history, encouraging young artistic talent and giving back to the community;and is made possible by Africa-Related in partnership with Ita'i Our Cloth and Tom Adaba Legacy Project.
Learn more about 'Titinkori' here:
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Public Art Competition Offers Global Artists €750,000
Berlin Global Village is offering a mouth watering figure to artists for ideas for a Decolonial Memorial, as part of a Public Art Contest that started in March. Registration closes on May 7, 2023
by Africa-Related, NEW YORK
€750,000 Euros is up for grabs in the "Decolonial Memorial" Art Competition.
Berlin Global Village is offering a mouth watering figure to artists for ideas for a Decolonial Memorial, as part of a Public Art Contest that started in March.
Registration closes on May 7, 2023
Watch the video to learn how to submit your application
Founder and Director Michael Küppers-Adebisi says the competition is open to multi-media artists that have “an idea that is beyond the western concept of nation” and one that will “illuminate the spiritual being”.
Twenty artists will be selected from the global entries to receive 4000 Euros each, to turn their ideas into project proposals. Following this, one winner will be chosen. The winning project will be transferred into the actual Decolonial Monument, and installed in between building's headquarters in Berlin.
Prominent Artist/Art historian Chika Okeke-Agulu and Walter Mignolo Argentine semiotician and professor at Duke University are slated to be competition judges.
Berlin Global Village is a body made up of 50 global non-governmental organizations that work to bring together diverse approaches on making societal changes. It supports small structures and initiative spaces and fosters discourse on Decolonial and other topics.
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Ozioma Onuzulike Expo Chicago Booth 374
Kó is pleased to debut at Expo Chicago, the international exposition of contemporary and modern art, in Chicago, Illinois. This presentation will showcase seven new ceramic artworks by Ozioma Onuzulike, featured in the Exposure section.
Ozioma Onuzulike Expo Chicago Booth 374
April 13-16, 2023
By AFRICA-RELATED
VIP Preview: April 13, 12-9 PM
Opening Night: April 13, 6-9 PM
* By Invitation
Public Days:
Friday, April 14, 11 AM-7 PM
Saturday, April 15, 11 AM-7 PM
Sunday, April 16, 11 AM-6 PM
Navy Pier, Festival Hall, 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, Illinois
Kó is pleased to debut at Expo Chicago, the international exposition of contemporary and modern art, in Chicago, Illinois. This presentation will showcase seven new ceramic artworks by Ozioma Onuzulike, featured in the Exposure section.
Ozioma Onuzulike (b. 1972, Achi, Enugu State, Nigeria) creates large-scale ceramic installations that hang like tapestries, formed from thousands of ceramic palm kernel beads, terracotta, copper rings, and natural shells. He explores the aesthetic, symbolic and metaphorical nature of the clay working process – pounding, crushing, hammering, wedging, grinding, cutting, pinching, punching, perforating, burning, and firing. His recent work is inspired by yam tubers, palm kernel shells and honeycombs which he mass-produces in terracotta and weaves together in often laborious processes. He configures a multiplicity of the individual units in ways that call attention to pressing socio-political and environmental issues, such as reckless politics, bad governance, imperialism, terrorism and climate change. Adopting the laborious process of firing the materials through multiple kilns, each firing creates unique colors and textures in transforming the clay, oxides, glazes and recycled glass.
Hailing from Nigeria’s prestigious Nsukka School in Southeastern Nigeria, his work has become synonymous with Nsukka’s experimental art department which he has led, known for its conceptual and material processes. An important center for art education in Nigeria, the art department at Nsukka has been spearheaded by luminaries such as Nigerian modernists Uche Okeke and Chike Aniakor in the early 1970s, and has subsequently been led by pioneering artists including Obiora Udechukwu and El Anatsui, stressing the exploration of ideas, materials and forms sourced from the environment.
Ozioma Onuzulike graduated First Class from the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he now serves as Director of the Institute of African Studies. His solo exhibition, Seed Yams of Our Land, was held at the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Lagos, Nigeria, in 2019, along with a presentation of his poetry collection of the same title also published by the CCA. kó presented Onuzulike’s exhibition, The Way We Are, in 2021. His works were included in [Re:]Entanglements: Colonial Collections in Decolonial Times at the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, UK. His exhibition, Strings the Length of Our Palm’s Seal, was held at Chertlüdde, Berlin, in 2022. His work has been included in recent presentations at The Armory Show, 1-54 London, Artgenève and Zonamaco. Onuzulike is a fellow of the Civitella Ranieri Centre, Umbertide, Perugia, Italy, where he undertook a residency under the UNESCO-ASCHBERG Bursary for Artists, and an alumnus of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Maine, USA. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Anthropology and Archeology, University of Cambridge, Princeton University Art Museum, Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, and the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, Lagos.