On this episode I’m joined by Kennedy Yanko as we discuss her recent artistic endeavors, working with paper pulp prints which are on view in her latest exhibition, Without Gravity, at Pace Prints now through Oct 4th. Kennedy shares the joy of returning to immediate, experimental creation, reminiscent of her earlier abstract expressionist paintings. She reflects on her 20-year journey as an artist, acknowledging the challenges and growth that have shaped her current practice.

Kennedy and I have been in each other’s orbit for several years watching each other grow and develop our respective practices. I had the pleasure of writing about her work for the Brooklyn Rail four years ago, so it’s really a full circle moment and a moment to reflect on what’s happened and how much growth we’ve both experienced since that time. In the episode we also talk about the importance of maintaining a spiritual practice and being open to the ebbs and flows of life’s natural movements.

Thank you to our hosts WSA Podcast Studios.

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On this episode I’m joined by Michelle Kuo, Chief Curator at Large and Publisher, of the MoMA, as we discuss Jack Whitten: The Messenger, the first comprehensive retrospective dedicated to the groundbreaking art of Jack Whitten (American, 1939–2018). The exhibition showcased more than 175 works from the 1960s to the 2010s, including paintings, sculptures, rarely shown works on paper, and archival materials to explore the depth and breadth of Whitten’s near six-decade career.

The show was critically acclaimed, and emotionally impactful. In the episode, Kuo describes the collaborative and intensive five-year process involved in curating the exhibition, highlighting Whitten’s innovative approaches to art, his engagement with technology, and the deep emotional and historical context in his work.

As Kuo describes Whitten's work alongside canonical figures such as Rothko, Picasso, and Mondrian, she more importantly references the ways in which he reconfigured art history and the abstract expressionist movement with the use of new tools and techniques. Whitten’s oeuvre is marked by a courageous and uncompromising vision to resist the pressures of conformity, and instead carve his own path through abstraction. This episode emphasizes Whitten’s visionary nature and the lasting legacy of his art, which continues to inspire and move audiences.

Thank you to our hosts WSA Podcast Studios.

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On this episode I’m joined by Brice Yonkeu as we discuss his career in the arts. With a background in political science, Brice transitioned to the arts, seeking to make a more relevant contribution to culture. In this episode, he shares his experiences working in the arts, from opening his own gallery, Bwo Art Gallery in Cameroon, to participating in Amoako Boafo’s residency, dot.ateliers, as the first curator in residency, and showcasing his latest exhibition, a continuation of the show he presented at dot.aterliers upon completion of the residence, on view at Gagosian through August 8. The exhibition, Ever So Present II: Between Home and Elsewhere, brings together the work of four contemporary African artists; Luke Agada, Amoako Boafo, Josèfa Ntjam, and Emma Prempeh, to explore themes of displacement, migration, and the tension between memory and reality.

Brice reflects on his transition into art curation, and underscores the importance of presenting complex and rich contemporary African art practices. He also recounts his journey into the art field, and the necessity of creating spaces for African artists to showcase their heritage and contributions to global cultural production and ingenuity.

Thank you to our hosts WSA Podcast Studios.

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On this episode I’m joined by Hugh Hayden as we discuss his newly commissioned work presented for 16 edition of the Sharjah Biennial, elucidated through the curatorial theme, to carry. Asking questions such as, what does it mean to carry a home, a history, a language, a legacy, and a lineage.

Hugh Hayden was born in Dallas, Texas in 1983 and lives and works in New York City. He holds an MFA from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University. Hugh Hayden’s practice considers the anthropomorphization of the natural world as a visceral lens for exploring the human condition. Hayden transforms familiar objects through a process of selection, carving and juxtaposing to challenge our perceptions of ourselves, others and the environment. Raised in Texas and trained as an architect, his work arises from a deep connection to nature and its organic materials. Hayden utilizes wood as his primary medium, frequently loaded with multi-layered histories in their origin, including objects as varied as discarded trunks, rare indigenous timbers, Christmas trees or souvenir African sculptures.

In this episode Hugh reflects on his observations on cultural diversity and geographical differences, comparing the US's peripheral status to the vibrant, multicultural hub of Sharjah and the UAE, while emphasizing adaptability and cultural engagement. The discussion delves into how different environments influence his work.

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On this episode I’m joined by Cassi Namoda as we discuss her newly commissioned work presented for 16 edition of the Sharjah Biennial, elucidated through the curatorial theme, to carry. Asking questions such as, what does it mean to carry a home, a history, a language, a legacy, and a lineage.

Born in Maputo, Mozambique, Cassi Namoda is known for her strong color palette and narrative approach to painting. Her hybrid narratives are at once wondrous and poignant, every day and fantastical, archival and current. Cassi’s work transfigures the cultural mythologies and historical narratives of life in post-colonial Africa, particularly those of the artist’s familial home of Mozambique. The idiosyncratic subjects who appear and reappear in her paintings also convey this hybridity: they emerge from African indigenous religions just as much as they spring from Western mythologies.

Cassi’s work is held in the collections of the Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami; Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore; MACAAL, Marrakesh; and The Studio Museum; New York.

In the episode, discusses her evolving body of work, including paintings that originated at the Joseph and Annie Albers residency in Connecticut that connect to her current paintings on view for the Sharjah Biennial 16. In the works, she explores themes of climate change and matriarchal societies, while emphasizing the holistic interconnectedness of her art and life. She also reflects on the importance of preserving ancestral knowledge and matriarchal wisdom, the role of women in society, and how her experiences as a mother influence her artistic practice. The conversation underscores the interconnected nature of life and art, advocating for self-attunement and holistic living.

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On this episode I’m joined by Luke Willis Thompson as we discuss his newly commissioned work presented for 16 edition of the Sharjah Biennial, elucidated through the curatorial theme, to carry. Asking questions such as what does it mean to carry a home, a history, a language, a legacy, and a lineage.

Luke Willis Thompson is a New Zealand artist of Fijian and European descent, currently working primarily in film and across performance, installation and sculpture to tackle traumatic histories of class, racial and social inequality, institutional violence, colonialism and forced migration.

In this episode, Luke discusses his newly commissioned film, Whakamoemoeā. Set in 2040, it's a fictional state broadcast, where a woman delivering a monologue announces the successful transition of New Zealand from a liberal democracy to an Indigenous governance model. Thompson reflects on the collaborative nature of the project, and the importance of cultural practices, such as following Tikanga, during the production process, which involved a large team working together harmoniously. He also affirms the collective effort behind the project, which serves as a model for the political future he envisions, emphasizing trust and collaboration throughout the creative process.

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On this episode I’m joined by Rita Mawuena Benissan as we discuss her newly commissioned works presented for 16 edition of the Sharjah Biennial, elucidated through the curatorial theme, to carry. Asking questions such as what does it mean to carry a home, a history, a language, a legacy, and a lineage.

Born in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire in 1995 to Ghanaian parents, Rita's journey led her to the United States as a baby, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Apparel and Textile Design from Michigan State University in 2017, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in photography and an African Studies Program Certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2021.

Rita is a Ghanaian-American interdisciplinary artist, on a mission to reimagine the royal umbrella, transforming it from a mere protective object into a potent symbol of Ghanaian identity. With a profound passion for art and cultural history, Rita collaborates with traditional artisans to breathe life into archival photos, immortalizing individual figures and communal scenes while embodying the beauty and power of her people.

In this episode, Rita discusses her newly commissioned work 'You Must Cross and Seek.' The installation features photography, installations, and well-known umbrella works. Rita explains how the title and the works reflect themes of ancestral calls, cultural legacy, and the fishing community in the Volta region where her family is from. She emphasizes the need for cultural preservation, especially through her foundation, Si Hene, which focuses on documenting and archiving Ghanaian chieftaincy and traditional culture. Rita also discusses the challenges of accessing cultural archives and the importance of creating spaces for contemporary African art, urging a collaborative approach between communities and institutions.

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On this episode I’m joined by Kaloki Nyamai as we discuss his newly commissioned works presented for 16 edition of the Sharjah Biennial, elucidated through the curatorial theme, to carry. Asking questions such as what does it mean to carry a home, a history, a language, a legacy, and a lineage.

Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation, painting, and sculpture living and working in Nairobi. Born in Kenya, from an early age, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives, examining their resonance in the present. Using materials like acrylic paint, sisal rope, photo transfers, and stitched yarn, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. Rooted in Kenya’s rich heritage—particularly of the Kamba people—Nyamai draws inspiration from traditions passed down to him by his mother and grandmother, and the dynamic rhythms of contemporary life in Nairobi.

In this episode, he reflects on the themes of community and new beginnings expressed in his work on display. Nyamai delves into his inspiration drawn from ancestral storytelling and the importance of maintaining cultural heritage through art. He emphasizes the impact of oral traditions in African cultures and shares insights into his unique use of materials that link his art to cultural and historical narratives. Additionally, Nyamai highlights the Kamene Art Residency he launched in 2023 to promote artistic growth and cultural exchange in Nairobi, which has blossomed into a cultural center.

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