Exhibition | In Process

An exhibition by the students of Nafasi Academy

July 2020

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO VIEW AS A SLIDESHOW

Curator’s note

‘In Process’ is the third exhibition of work by the students of the Nafasi Academy. The exhibition was created during the third module of the Academy’s year long course. This module, focusing on Research and Concept Development, is arguably the most important. There may be nothing more crucial to an artist than developing and guiding an idea – either as an exploration of and for themselves, or by using their words, skills and experience to guide and accompany someone else along a winding path of thought. This exhibition builds on ongoing lessons about the importance of history and the constant pursuit of new expressions in contemporary art. It opens a new phase for the Academy artists, who now have a strong foundation for joining the artistic discourse and charting their own unique paths. In showing both the planning and final work, ‘In Process’ seeks to emphasise the importance of the journey, of listening to yourself, of seeking advice, and learning to appreciate the joy of following the questions, of understanding that there are no wrong answers as long as the conversation continues.

Jesse Gerard, Visual Arts Manager

Module 3: Research and Concept Development in Contemporary Art Practice (15 June – 4 July)

The online intensive workshops for Module 3 took the students through an overview of conceptualising, research and idea development – all in line with further understanding their individual artistic processes. Each day tackled a particular theme starting with finding your artistic voice, of which Masoud Kibwana was the guest speaker.

The following days had local and international artists including Asteria Malinzi who spoke about artistic concepts and gave an in depth account of her personal experiences and performance artist and activist Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi (Gha), who shed light on activism in art and how she uses her voice and platform to progress the conversation in gender and identity politics. Through conversations with these artists and others such as Celyn Bricker (UK), Kresiah Mukwazhi (Zim), Maxwell Mutanda (Zim/UK) our aim was to highlight the importance of staying true to oneself – and to impart knowledge on how different tools such as photo collage, interviewing and journaling are all useful parts in planning the creation of an art piece. The students were encouraged to dig deeper, mindmap, and explore various methods of expression within their chosen themes. This exhibition is a reflection of the week and the processes learned in it.

Valerie Amani, Module 3 Lead Facilitator

Acknowledgements

Through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic the Academy has counted on the generosity and support of friends old and new. As we return to a regular schedule we offer sincere thanks for the work of our Mentor Team, Gadi Ramadhani, Amani Abeid, Paul Ndunguru, Valerie Amani, Nicholas Calvin, and Safina Kimbokota. To our speakers and guests including Masoud Kibwana, Celyn Bricker, Asteria Malinzi, Maxwell Mutanda, Kresiah Mukwazhi, Lauren Tate Baeza, Julia Taonga Kaseka, Kiagho Kilonzo, Isak Abeneko, Gita Herman, Vitshois Bondo Mwilambwe, and to Artist in (Virtual) Residence Carolina Aranibar Fernandez. Our sincere thanks also for the work, courage and talent of our Academy Students. This time has made us stronger and we look forward to the future with clear eyes.