What project were you investigating or developing during your residency?

During my residency, I was developing an idea around home and memory.

For a few years now, I’ve been exploring the concept of “home” in my practice. Over time, I’ve arrived at different perspectives of home depending on the phase of my life and the broader research I do. The perspective that stayed with me is of home as memory, especially for people who grew up with family, friends, or a community, and then, at some point, had to relocate or move out of the place where they were raised. What you’re left with are the memories of home. This is important because the sense of home is one of the fundamental needs of every human
being. You can see this in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, under the need for belonging which includes acceptance, trust, and the giving and receiving of affection. I was interested in the role that memories of home can play during any state of homelessness, whether physical or emotional. While working on this project, I came across a phrase that guided my idea development: “Memories are the currency of our heart.” With this in mind, I created works using photography, collage, and intimate portraits that evoke nostalgia.

In what way did the environment, resources, or community around you influence your residency experience or its outcome?

I strongly believe that everything responds to energy. There is a particular positive energy that comes from partnership and collaboration. That energy comes from conversations and questions. The energy from other residents was one of my biggest leverages. Alongside that, having a conducive environment and a very large studio to work in shaped my experience and the outcome. It was my first time having access to a studio that large all to myself, and that freedom to create played a huge role.

Looking back on the residency, is there a specific experience or moment that continues to resonate with you?

Yes. When we visited Mr. Kwado Aseidu. The way he interacted with us individually stood out. He said:“ Within your practice, find that element within your work that’s uniquely yours and communicate it to your viewers. Eventually, the art community will catch up to it.” It wasn’t the first time I’d heard that idea, but it sat differently with me that day. It really resonated.

Did any new ideas or projects emerge during the residency that you hope to continue developing or are already developing? Tell us about them.

Yes. Although I had the idea before the residency, it became much clearer and stronger in my heart
during that time. It’s a photography installation titled “The Gods of Our Fathers” ,under the HERITAGE OF HOME series that I’ve been working on. This project delves into how modernization has affected and is almost erasing African culture. I will be using Yoruba culture as a case study, and incorporating Yoruba historical materials into
the installation.

What is currently inspiring your thinking or practice a book, film, conversation, research, place, etc. and why?

I study people and their process. Right now, I’m currently studying Ibrahim Mahatma he is a global contemporary artist from Northern Ghana. I’m drawn to the way he works with materials, space, and community, and how he roots large-scale work in cultural context.