Honey in the coffee

Andrew Esiebo, Who Are We, 2012, lambda print, 50x70cm, edition of 5 + 2AP, courtesy Raw Material Company Another exhibition not to be missed in Dakar OFF,  Precarious imaging: a photography exhibition presenting works by Kader Attia (France-Algerie), Jim Chuchu (Kenya), Andrew Esiebo (Nigeria), Amanda Kerdahi M. (Egypt) , Zanele Muholi (South Africa). The exhibition, that explores homosexuality in Africa (where in most countries is considered illegal), is curated by Ato Malinda and Koyo Kouoh.  Precarious imagining is part of a year long programme that addresses Personal Liberties with an emphasis on homosexuality and the growing homophobia in African societies.  Opened few days ago at Raw Material Company (Dakar, Senegal), it will be running until the 18th of June. Kader Attia, stills from "Collages", 2011, 67min, courtesy Galerie Nagel Draxler and Raw Material Company with the support of Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris Andrew Esiebo, Who Are We, ...

We are only one week ahead before the opening of 1:54 , the first Contemporary African Art Fair to be held in London ( Somerset House ). Exhibitors list's include 17 international galleries with a focus on African and Africa related projects. Ransome Stanley, The Purpose, 2012 The name of the Fair refers to the 54 African countries. Fair Founder and Director is Touria El Glaoui, daughter of Moroccan artist Hassan El Glaoui. She is supported by an extraordinary team: Architect David Adjaye made the design and Koyo Kouoh is the Artistic Director. Otobong Nkanga FORUM PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENT With aim to foster an axis for ideas, exchange and debate, 1:54 Forum will act as the theoretical substructure to 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair. The programme curated by Koyo Kouoh (Artistic Director of 1:54 and Founder of Raw Material Company) will encompass keynote lectures, artist talks, panel discussions and associate film programme, traversing critical themes and...

image courtesy of the gallery Yinka Shonibare MBE 's new solo show is opening next month at Stephen Friedman Gallery in London. Title: POP! The show sounds really promising with works inspired by Andy Warhol's series 'Camouflage' and Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper'. POP! is a reflection on some of the causes of the current economic crisis like corruption, excess and debauchery. Shonibare's figures are headless (in reference to executions during the French Revolution, but it is also a recurring motif in his work to avoid any association of race). The artist's trademark is the use of the beautiful wax batik fabric. These fabrics are well recognisable as traditional from Africa but they were actually produced by the Dutch and sold to the colonies in West Africa. Shonibare's figure wears XVIII century inspired outifits made out of this printed fabric. A not-to-be missed show. Private View 15 March 2013, 6-8pm Exhibition: 16 March...

Add caption Mansour Ciss Kanakassy, "Lumumba," 2010. Aluminium print, 125x80cm. Courtesy the artist. United States of Africa an exhibition by artist Mansour Ciss Kanakassy @   Raw Material Company , center for art, knowledge and society (Dakar, Senegal). September 21 – December 31, 2011

I have been recently thinking to visit Morocco. It would be my first step in Africa, a continent is in my heart already. By total coincidence (is it actually coincidence?), I came across the work of this amazing illustrator, Bianca Tschaikner . She is originally from Austria but now lives in Tangier, Morocco. She created a series of 12 illustrated postcards, inspired by her experiences in the African country. As she wrote, 't he postcards tell stories about the life on the other side of the world, full of mint leaves and silver coffee pots, farewells at the strait of Gibraltar, stray cats, petit princes in the desert and false princes on the street, veiled faces and thieves in the night train, lots of embroidered oriental slippers, dangerous food and illiterates pretending to read the newspaper'. She uses only the colours black, white and red. Most of the backgrounds are black and some words - in different languages - are often included in her beautiful drawings. ...