A Black History of Art Presents: A Shared Gaze

This episode is filmed and is available on YouTube. A conversation with Shaqúelle Whyte, a London-based painter who grew up in Wolverhampton and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and the Royal College of Art. Whyte’s practice draws on personal imagery, art history, and an intuitive studio process. In this episode, we discuss his early life, his experiences at two of London’s most revered art schools, and his approach to painting. We also talk about his recent exhibitions, including Winter Remembers April with Pippy Houldsworth Gallery in London, Nine Nights Strange Fruit with White Cube in Hong Kong, and his upcoming solo exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.Shaqúelle Whyte: Shattered Dreams is on at Wolverhampton Art Gallery from 18th April – 31st August 2026.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3A03dLpFjMc?si=qdf6GCXlyziJl5H0Keep up with us on IG:Shaqúelle: @shaq.whyteAlayo: @alayoakinkugbe @ablackhistoryofart @asharedgaze

A conversation with Taiba Akhuetie, a multidisciplinary artist based in London. During lockdown, Taiba began exploring hair as a standalone material for creating sculptures, installations and clothing. Since then, her designs have been worn by the likes of Tems and Cate Blanchett, she has made a bag for Rihanna, collaborated with Fiorucci, and contributed to numerous fashion editorials. Her career now moves fluidly between hairstyling, art, and design, placing her in a unique creative space. She has also just been recognised as a new wave creative for 2025, by the British Fashion Council. To mark the occasion, we produced a shoot with photographer, Bernardo Ame, and sat down with Taiba to discuss her life and her practice.Watch on YouTube.Keep up with us:Taiba: @taibataiba Alayo: @alayoakinkugbe @ablackhistoryofart @asharedgazeBernardo: @bernardo__ame

A conversation with photographer, filmmaker, artist, and activist Misan Harriman. His work spans portraiture, film, and social documentary, capturing some of the most defining images of contemporary culture. The first Black man to photograph a September issue of British Vogue, Misan is known for his portraits of celebrities like Rihanna, Angelina Jolie, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as his documentation of global protest movements. His directorial debut, The After, starring David Oyelowo, was nominated for an Oscar in 2024. In this episode, Alayo and Misan discuss his early life, rapid career development, and his latest protest photography exhibition at Hope 93 Gallery.Keep up with us:Misan Harriman: @misanharrimanAlayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Los Angeles-based artist Umar Rashid, who blends historical research with world-building. Umar’s practice -- which includes painting, sculpture and writing -- engages with colonial history, global interconnections, and alternative historical narratives, focusing on the period from 1648 to 1880. His work often incorporates elements of time travel and cosmic exploration. In this episode, Alayo and Umar discuss his upbringing on the South Side of Chicago in an artistic family, a recent exhibition he curated of Robert Colescott’s work at BLUM Gallery in LA, and the influence of figures such as Frantz Fanon and Federico Fellini on his practice.This special season focuses on the themes which are at the heart of Alayo’s upcoming book, 'Reframing Blackness: What’s Black About History of Art?', which unpacks the relationship between Blackness and “Western” art history through the lenses of: Museums, the curriculum, feminist art movements, muses and exhibitions. In this season Alayo will speak to artists who re-think, reposition and reframe Blackness and Black figures in this context.Pre-Order Reframing Blackness here.Keep up with us:Umar Rashid: @frohawktwofeathersAlayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Lagos-based artist Modupeola Fadugba, whose multidisciplinary practice spans installation, painting, film, and social engagement. Modupeola's work often explores subjects of race and pedagogy, as seen in her acclaimed 'Synchronized Swimmers' series and her Emmy-winning documentary on the all-Black senior synchronised swimming group, the Harlem Honeys and Bears. Modupeola's latest exhibition ‘Of Movement, Materials and Methods’ — on view at Gallery 1957 in London until June 29 — draws on her research into the Ojude Oba Festival in Ijebu Ode, Nigeria. The show marks a vibrant shift in her palette and incorporates intricate beading techniques she first encountered while interning with Maasai beadworkers in Tanzania during school holidays. Alayo and Modupeola discuss the Nigerian education system, the symbolic power of swimming in Modupeola's work and the influence of artists such as Nike Davies-Okundaye.This special season focuses on the themes which are at the heart of Alayo’s upcoming book, Reframing Blackness: What’s Black About History of Art?, which unpacks the relationship between Blackness and “Western” art history through the lenses of: Museums, the curriculum, feminist art movements, muses and exhibitions. In this season Alayo will speak to artists who re-think, reposition and reframe Blackness and Black figures in this context.Pre-Order Reframing Blackness here.Keep up with us:Modupeola Fadugba: @modupeola.fadugbaAlayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Philadelphia-based artist Qualeasha Wood, whose multidisciplinary practice spans textiles, digital media, and performance. Qualeasha’s work investigates Black femme identity, Catholic iconography, and the psychological effects of the internet, often rendered through intricately tufted and woven tapestries. Her recent solo exhibition Malware at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery in London presents a series of glitch-heavy, hyper-pixelated works that reflect on digital anxiety, image control, and online mediation. In this episode, Alayo and Qualeasha discuss art school at RISD, the politics of self-presentation in virtual spaces, and the development of her debut performance bedrot, staged during the opening night of Malware.This special season focuses on the themes which are at the heart of Alayo’s upcoming book, Reframing Blackness: What’s Black About History of Art?, which unpacks the relationship between Blackness and “Western” art history through the lenses of: Museums, the curriculum, feminist art movements, muses and exhibitions. In this season Alayo will speak to artists who re-think, reposition and reframe Blackness and Black figures in this context.Pre-Order Reframing Blackness here.Keep up with us:Qualeasha Wood: @qualeashaAlayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Béninois artist Roméo Mivekannin, who works primarily in painting and installation. Roméo’s practice centres on marginalised Black figures in canonical European paintings, which he reimagines with his own self-portrait. His first exhibition in Italy, Black Mirror, at Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia is on until the 27th of July. It features a new series of paintings on black velvet, marking a new chapter in his practice. In this episode, Alayo and Roméo discuss subjects including Italian cinema, the choreography of Pina Bausch, the universality of dance and his grandmother’s stories of European colonial injustice in Africa.This special season focuses on the themes which are at the heart of Alayo’s upcoming book, Reframing Blackness: What’s Black About History of Art?, which unpacks the relationship between Blackness and “Western” art history through the lenses of: Museums, the curriculum, feminist art movements, muses and exhibitions. In this season Alayo will speak to artists who re-think, reposition and reframe Blackness and Black figures in this context. Pre-Order Reframing Blackness here.Keep up with us:Roméo Mivekannin: @romeomivekanninAlayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Victor Ehikhamenor. Victor is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nigeria; his practice encompasses painting, installation, writing and unique forms of mark making, such as perforation. On the occasion of his solo exhibition ‘The Enigma of Time Remembered’ at Maruani Mercier gallery in Brussels in 2024, Victor and Alayo discuss his life and practice.Victor shares how his upbringing in Edo State, surrounded by rich cultural traditions of art-making, has influenced his work. From the sacred wall paintings by women born in his hometown, to his series of perforated drawings and innovative use of materials like rosaries, Victor's work explores the duality of external projections and internal beliefs. Victor and Alayo also discuss his philanthropic efforts through the organisation Angels and Muse, and the diverse influences that shape his work, which include Nigerian Modernist artists and the writings of Ben Okri.Keep up with us:Victor: @victorsozaboyAlayo: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Paris-born artist Tabita Rezaire. Rezaire is a new media artist, doula and cacao farmer based in French Guiana. On the occasion of her solo exhibition, Calabash Nebula at Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Rezaire has created an immersive series of installations, which are inspired by and honour the Yoruba water spirit Yemoja. Yemoja is the main water spirit of the West African Yoruba religion, who is considered the mother of rivers and oceans and the mother of all humanity. In this episode, Tabita and Alayo discuss Calabash Nebula, as well as Tabita’s meandering journey to becoming an artist, her new experiences as a farmer at her community space, Amakaba, in French Guiana, and her recognition of the cosmic dualities of life’s cycles. Calabash Nebula is organised by TBA21 and Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid and is open until the 12th of January 2025. Thank you to these organisations for making this episode possible.Keep up with us:TabitaTBA21: @tba_21 Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: @museothyssenAlayo: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Botswana-born artist Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum. Sunstrum’s practice spans painting, drawing, and installation and is characterized by detailed narrative world-building, and figures who resemble the artist herself but are not self-portraits. On the occasion of her commission for The Curve at London’s Barbican, Pamela has created an installation titled 'It Will End in Tears', which consists of a series of interconnected film sets, inspired by mid-century colonial settings like her grandmother’s village in Botswana. Pamela speaks to Alayo about this exhibition, as well as her life and practice. They discuss Pamela’s experiences of growing up making things with her sister, the power of creating an alter ego character in her practice, her love of Alfred Hitchcock’s films and the literature of South African writer Bessie Head and Nigerian-British writer Ben Okri.Keep up with us:Pamela: @pamelaphatsimoAlayo: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe 'It Will End in Tears' is on at London's Barbican until the 5th of January 2025.

This episode is a live recording of a panel discussion which interrogated the position of so-called “Black Figuration” – in other words, work by Black artists which portrays Black figures – today. Alayo Akinkugbe is joined by writer John Baptiste Oduor, artist Anya Paintsil and curator, educator, writer and director of La Foundation for the Arts (LAFA), Chantel Akworkor Thompson. The discussion was held at Opera gallery in June 2024, in connection with an exhibition Alayo curated there, called ‘The Whole World Smiles With You’. Keep up with us:@lafa_foundationLAFAJohn Baptiste Oduor@anyapaintsil@ablackhistoryofartOpera Gallery

A conversation with Kenturah Davis, an American artist who splits her time between California and Accra, Ghana. Kenturah’s work explores an interplay of portraiture and design and spans drawing, textile, sculpture, and performance. On the occasion of her exhibition ‘clouds’ at Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, Kenturah speaks to me about her exploration of shadows and metaphysics, her desire to create works of art that encompass the viewer the way that music encompasses a listener, and some of the figures who have been inspiring her work lately: choreographer Katherine Dunham, composer Florence B. Price, theorist Saidiya Hartman, author Toni Morrison, and physicist Carlo Rovelli.‘Clouds’ was on at Stephen Friedman Gallery from 31 May to 20 July 2024. See installation shots of the exhibition here.Keep up with us:Kenturah Davis: @kenturah Alayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama whose installations address themes of labour, circulation of goods and globalisation, and whose practice is charactarised by the use of materials collected from urban environments, which he manipulates and transforms in collaboration with communities in Ghana.  On the occasion of his permanent site-specific installation at Palazzo Diedo in Venice Three Little Birds, and his exhibition If These Are The Things at APALAZZOGALLERY in Brescia, Ibrahim speaks to Alayo from within If These Are The Things about his childhood and experience of art education in Ghana, taking influence from everywhere and the three institutions he has established in Northern Ghana: The Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art, a museum space run by artists and curators, the vast studio complex, Red Clay which comprises exhibition spaces, research facilities and a residency, and Nkrumah Volini, an educational institution.Janus the inaugural exhibition at Palazzo Diedo in Venice, is open until 24th November 2024. IF THESE ARE THE THINGS is open at APALAZZOGALLERY in Brescia until 22nd September 2024.Keep up with us:Ibrahim: @ibrahimmahama3Alayo: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with pioneering Ghanaian-born British artist, John Akomfrah on the occasion of his commission for the British Pavilion, at the 60th Venice Biennale. Akomfrah discusses early childhood memories in both Ghana and the UK, his love of filmmaking as a medium, and his experience with national representation at the Venice Biennale, having been part of the Ghanaian pavilion in 2015, and now being the sole artist to represent Britain in 2024. This episode also features a conversation with the brilliant curator of Listening All Night to The Rain, Tarini Malik.This episode was recorded at the British Pavilion in Venice, at the 60th Biennale of Art – which is often dubbed the “Olympics of the art world”. Several countries have pavilions which are transformed by artists who have been selected, by various powers that be, to represent their nation. Some of these pavilions are in the Giardini – Gardens – of the Biennale, and have long histories of involvement with the event, while others exist outside of this space – in buildings throughout the city, or in the Arsenale, a nearby location which also hosts national pavilions and collateral exhibitions. The British Council commission Listening All Night To The Rain at the 60th Venice Biennale runs from Saturday 20 April to Sunday 24 November 2024. If you are not able to visit Venice, the exhibition will be travelling to locations in the UK afterwards.Thank you to the British Council for taking me to Venice, and to Tarini and John for their generous insights.

A conversation with artist Woody de Othello, whose practice spans sculpture, painting and drawing. Woody’s first UK solo exhibition, 'Faith Like a Rock ' is on until the 13th of April 2024 at Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. Woody recreates everyday, inanimate objects and transforms them into humanoid characters which elicit different emotions. The exhibition unfolds as an immersive mise-en-scène, with ceramic sculptures, paintings and drawings inhabiting each room. In this conversation, Woody speaks to Alayo from Stephen Friedman Gallery about the spiritual connection he has felt to clay since first working with it in art school, his love of pen drawing since his childhood, and his musical influences, who include composer Julius Eastman (1940-1990) and Jazz musician and composer, Alice Coltrane (1937-2007).This episode marks the finale of the first season of A Shared Gaze. THANK YOU, TO OUR LISTENERS AND GUESTS FOR YOUR SUPPORT <3Keep up with us:Woody: @woodyothelloAlayo: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbeFaith Like A Rock by Woody De Othello is on  at Stephen Friedman Gallery (5-6 Cork Street, London) until 13th April 2024.

A conversation with Gideon Appah, a Ghanaian artist who draws on childhood memories, mythology and west African landscapes. This conversation was recorded on the 24th of March 2023. Our discussion centres on specific paintings in his first UK solo exhibition with Pace gallery, London in 2023 titled How to Say Sorry in a Thousand Lights. In this conversation, Gideon speaks to Alayo about his childhood and studies in Accra, the influences he takes from West African cinema and music videos, and his unique technique of painting with oils and acrylics. Gideon gives in-depth descriptions of the techniques he used to make specific paintings, there is a link to the installation images from How to Say Sorry in a Thousand Lights below – to guide your listening. Gideon’s solo exhibition, titled The Play of Thought is due to open at Pace Gallery, Seoul on the 20th of March, 2024.'How to Say Sorry in a Thousand Lights' -- images from the exhibition linked here and here.Keep up with us:Gideon: @appah_gideonAlayo: @ablackhistoryofart ; @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Ayo Akingbade, an artist, writer and director based in London. She has directed 17 short films, which include documentary, fiction and those that blur the lines between the two. In this conversation, Ayo speaks to Alayo about their shared heritage and similar names, growing up in Hackney, her love of fashion & textiles  and her exhibition ‘Show me the world Mister’, which is currently touring the UK. It was first shown at the Chisenhale Gallery, London and has travelled onto Spike Island, Bristol and John Hansard Gallery, Southampton. It is currently showing at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead and will go on to the Whitworth, Manchester. A book of the same name was published by Book Works and Chisenhale Gallery to accompany this exhibition – it includes diary entries, interviews and behind-the-scenes photographs of the production of two of Ayo’s films ‘The Fist’ and ‘Faluyi’. Influences mentioned by Ayo:Artists/Filmmakers: Sade Adu, Meret Oppenheim, Anthea Hamilton, Chantal Akerman, Ed Ruscha, Agnes Varda, Ousmane Sembène, Eric Rohmer, Ellen Gallagher.Films: ((French New Wave Cinema)), ‘Jules et Jim’ by François Truffaut, ‘Poor things’ by Yorgos Lanthimos, ‘La Chimera’ by Alice Rohrwacher, ‘All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt’ by Raven Jackson, ‘Living in Bondage’ by Chris Obi Rapu.Keep up with us:Ayo:  http://www.ayoakingbade.com/Alayo: @ablackhistoryofart ; @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Na Chainkua Reindorf a Ghanaian artist who works across textile, painting, sculpture and installation. Her work is heavily influenced by the rich cultural history of West African, particularly Ghanaian, textiles, from the weaving traditions of Kente, to Fante Asafo flags and Yoruba masquerade dress (aka Egungun). Chainky has also garnered a  following on her carefully curated Instagram page, which consists of fashion she has worn and art she has seen, organised in an impressive colour gradient. In 2022, Chainky was one of 3 artists to represent Ghana at the Venice Biennale in the pavilion Black Star: The Museum as Freedom. In this conversation, Chainky speaks to Alayo from Puerto Rico about the extraordinary experience of representing Ghana in Venice, as well as her life and her broader practice.Keep up with us on Instagram:Chainky:@chainkyr@ncreindorfAlayo:@ablackhistoryofart@alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Isabel Okoro, a Nigerian photographer and filmmaker based between Toronto, Canada and Lagos, Nigeria. Isabel’s practice is firmly rooted in world-building, she has invented a world called Eternity, which she describes as a “normatopia”. Normatopia is a word that Isabel coined to mean a space that exists at the sweet spot between harsh reality and utopia. She self-published her first monographic book in 2022, called Friends in Eternity and has produced work for clients including: Dazed, Essence, Vogue and Apple amongst many others. Two of her works were recently acquired by the Art Gallery of Toronto. In this conversation, Isabel speaks to Alayo from home in Lagos, Nigeria about her life and her practice Happy Cancer Szn :) Keep up with us on Instagram:Isabel: @isabelokorohttps://isabelokoro.com/Alayo:@ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Tesfaye Urgessa, a painter based between Nurtingen, Germany and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Tesfaye's paintings are figurative, fleshy and dynamic. There is often -- amidst the business of his paintings -- an anchor point in the form of a piercing gaze. In this episode, Tesfaye speaks to Alayo from his studio in Nurtingen, about his life and his practice. *apologies for the low sound quality, Tesfaye's studio is large and echoey*Keep up with us on instagram:Tesfaye: @tesfayeurgessaAlayo: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

A conversation with Anya Paintsil, a Welsh and Ghanaian artist based in the UK. Anya creates textiles using techniques of rughooking and embroidery. She often includes human and synthetic hair as a material and has explained that she finds many similarities between the act of weaving or “doing” afro hair and textile production techniques. In this episode, Anya speaks to Alayo about her life and her practice.Keep up with us on instagram: Anya: @anyapaintsil Alayo: @ablackhistoryofart  @alayoakinkugbe"baby hair and afros": https://vortic.art/exhibitions/5288/?sceneId=3287&listview=false