#afrian

Last night was the opening in Brooklyn of exhibition New African Photography curated by Red Hook Labs in collaboration for the first time with Nataal, a global media platform founded by Alassane Sy, Sara Hemming and Helen Jennings with the aim of celebrating contemporary African fashion, music and arts.

There is no one message.

Photographers weren’t chosen to tell one story or to fit pre-ordained themes, rather the exhibition is about telling multiple stories through fashion, portraiture and documentary images as a means of dispelling clichés and myths spun by traditional reportage photography and as a way to inspire the audience to want to know more about the tastemakers coming out of Africa today. Each artist has his or her own outlook, ranging from simple to fantastical, which provide snapshots of the huge diversity of Africa’s visual language today.

Lakin Ogunbanwo

Owise Abuzaid

Delphin Diallo

Atong Atem

Kristin Lee Moolman

Namsa Leuba

The photographers featured in the exhibition are Atong Atem,Delphine Diaw Diallo, Kristin-Lee Moolman, Lakin Ogunbanwo, Namsa Leuba and Owise Abuzaid. Their visions intertwine along the exhibition itinerary allowing the viewer to take a journey into the rich visual culture of contemporary Africa while challenging, at the same time, the ordinary usage and accepted meaning of such concepts as identity, belonging, daily life and imaginary, public and private. Portraits, fashion and documentary photographs that depict universal narratives capable of inspiring, raising a debate and reflecting upon complex matters like the African diaspora.

Personally, I’m so captivated by the work of Atong Atem, a young artist from South Sudanese by way of Melbourne.

Her work explores postcolonial practices in the diaspora and the relationship between public and private spaces. She tackles the politics of race and gender and class head on.

Nataal is also showing her series Third Culture Kids, which is something of a homage to legendary African studio photographers such as Malick Sidibe, Seydou Keita and Phillip Kwame Apagya. For her it’s about documenting that journey, freedom and community.

What I appreciate about this exhibition is that it’s all about six artists and their own unique perspectives on contemporary Africa. Viewed together the message is that young artists such as these have a fresh outlook that is socially engaged, authentic and gaining traction fast. It’s also a breath of fresh air to the increasingly commercial and self-referencing international art world. A must see exhibition this May.

Red Hook Labs, 133-135 Imlay Street, Brooklyn, New York 11231

BEANS AND PLANTAIN 

INGREDIENTS

For a serving of 4-6

BEANS

4 medium tomatoes

1 large onion (chopped)

1 clove of pressed garlic

100ml red palm oil or vegetable oil

2 chillies (optional)

Salt to taste (± 1 seasoning cube)

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

500g black-eyed peas or red beans

PLANTAIN

4 very ripe plantains

Vegetable oil (for deep frying)

Some salt and/or pepper

PREPARATION

BEANS: Wash and soak beans in cold water for 1 hour. Then, in a large pot and using 2 litres of water, boil your beans. The pot should be partially closed. After ± 5 minutes, reduce the heat and simmer the beans for ± 1,5 hours, or until they are soft (mushy even). If more water is needed during the boil, add only boiling water to it. When the beans have cooked, drain them in a colander and set aside.

In another pot, heat the oil and add the onions, garlic, chillies and ginger. After ± 3 minutes, stir in the mashed tomatoes and add your salt and pepper and/or seasoning cube. Add water and cook for ± 10 minutes before stirring in the beans. Cook, stirring intermittently for 15 more minutes. Now they are ready for serving.

PLANTAIN: Cut both ends and cut through skin length-wise. Peel. Cut into diagonal pieces. Season with a bit of salt and pepper (optional). Heat oil and when it is hot, fry the plantain pieces. Toss them occasionally to ensure all are cooked. When they are all brown, remove and drain in kitchen paper. Serve.