The dichotomy between black and white in the United States was once so severe, it was socially acceptable to insist on segregation. When one person could have freedom of the city, the other could only go to places deemed fit for their colour. Things have changed a lot; however, the separation of cultures is still relevant and specific. It’s not as simple as letting people mix and share their stories, because the black experience is so vastly different to the white experience on many levels for many people. White people may know how it feels to be poor or misunderstood, to be treated like we don’t matter, and that our culture is somehow wrong, it’s worth recognising that the Black experience includes histories and pressures that differ from those most white people face. 
 
Black history, black art, and black culture in general are given their own label because of the clearly defined direction it comes from. The term isn’t used to detract from the work or to separate it from white culture, it’s used to show that the source of this work has a background that cannot be assumed to be similar to that of the majority of work on show. That is, if the work is a typical museum exhibition. Not so for "Continuum: Over 100 Years of Black Art" at ACA Galleries in New York. Like the title says, black art is receiving its own culture specific show. With the political monkey business recently highlighting the unconscious bias some people still hold, now is a great time to remind everyone of the breadth and depth of Black American creativity and identity.  
 
Stories about Black life in America have often been filtered through white institutions, sometimes they go full on with the sentiment of crime and boil up all kinds of guilty feelings and anger towards their less-enlightened ancestors. Sometimes they try to sweep the atrocity under the carpet and talk about all the ways that western culture helped improve the world. No matter how it’s presented, the story comes from a western-white perspective. And this is why Black Arts have such a vital place in the world, because getting the story from the original source from the perspective of those who have had to live, forgive, and grow, make the most of it with post-emancipation, we find ourselves embellished in a different and much more real narrative.  
 
Of course, the grounded white perspective is important, history requires a transparent look at all sides on the for and against wings of society. What we risk is doing the same all over again and rewriting black truth with white truth, that is if we don’t value the art and stories of black people from the span of their history in literate America. Demonstrating the genuine value and humanity within black art, each artist works to undo the harmful characterisations of black people circulated by racist whites in times past. Minstrel shows, silly cartoons, and outright, overt discrimination helped to portray a false and humiliating image of people who deserved so much better.  
 
When we stop talking about the servitude, trauma, and crimes against humanity that we often find ourselves drawn to, we discover black people have been talking about so much more. And why wouldn’t they? shared humanity doesn’t erase the very different histories communities carry. The New York Exhibition will highlight the vibrant, colourful, and culturally invigorating work of several black artists who lived over the previous 100 years. The early works on show will be by those who lived under segregation, who were fearful of lynchings, and who quite possibly remembered elderly slave relatives. It’s on until March the 7th 2026 so if you can, get in and experience the richness and range of the work on display. 
 
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​Being descended from an alternative culture and growing up in an environment that in many ways does not represent the innards of the home, the children of immigrants and their kin in turn can develop a sense of apartness and togetherness at the same time. Knowing yourself to be unusual and yet respected and welcomed is something we can all feel relative to, even if we’re indigenous to our own culture. However, for the majority, we just can’t know what it’s like to be African descended in the west because it’s not who we are. So how do we learn? Art has the answer.
 
The Parisian 193 Gallery, which began life only in 2018, has expanded to represent in Venice. The Dorsoduro district was the perfect spot for the outreach and growth that good art can’t help but inspire. To become talked about even more, the gallery now is set to host the Centre For Contemporary Art, Lagos. Presenting Passengers In Transit, the group-led exhibition offers an exploration of the Venice Biennale theme of Strangers Everywhere. Drawing on 193’s capabilities to bring together themes and talking points, the cross-cultural and collaborative style is perfect for this key avenue.
 
Collaborators Paula Nascimento, Oyindamola Faithful, and Roger Niyigena Kerera have brought together the thematic spirits of April Bey, Christa David, Euridice Zaituna Kala, Joana Choumali, and Thandiwe Muriu. A range of media portrays the artist’s imagination over works on photo-print to sculpture. Each artist has African heritage yet carries their own sense of self and ideal through their unbordered lives.
 
In a way, we are all passengers in transit, and perhaps the best lessons we can learn are from those who found themselves further than most of us ever get to. Strangers Everywhere can represent many things, living in a new land, growing up in a land your family doesn’t fully understand, or just browsing social media and dealing with attitudes that would have got you in trouble at home. By taking heed from those who have made the most of their human journey and travelled further than anyone else, we can adopt perspectives from high vantage points that otherwise we probably would have missed.   
 
Fascinating read: ​Translating Childhoods: Immigrant Youth, Language, and Culture
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​Once colonised by the French, British, and Germans in a European power landgrab that didn’t end until well into the 20th Century, the African nation of Togo now enjoys complete cultural and bureaucratic independence. The first time I’d ever heard of this fascinating county was when I began collecting stamps as a child. The stamps of Togo always appealed to me as interesting and worth a closer look. However, the nation itself is moving away from its westernised appeal and has embraced their own long-lived cultural backstory. Last year saw a grand opening of a cultural centre that once housed foreign governors in all their forcibly imported style.
 
According to Art News, “they might have found it a nightmare”, as the building is now completely turned around to represent the very culture and set of ideas that the invaders sought to morally overwrite. Indeed, for the main body of people at home, consenting to sending our sons to fight far away, we needed to know we were doing the right thing. So, they sold it as just that to everyone at home and in the country they stole. The comparison of lifestyles and cultural motivations gave rise to the real desire to correct what was introduced as wrong behaviour. Was it any of our business what the people in Togo were doing? I don’t think so. Did they ask for our help? I don’t think so either.

Interesting book: Locality, Mobility, and "Nation": Periurban Colonialism in Togo's Eweland, 1900-1960 (Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora)
 
The decision to regenerate the space in the image of the culture it was built to oppress was a noble one and the community can now enjoy the benefits of the genuine installation. Now a cultural space and art gallery, the Palais de Lomé is the nation’s first such dedicated space and will serve the community and genuine tourists for many generations to come. Built to last, and empty of its colonial past, the Togolese have their own spotlight and reservoir of protected heritage right on their doorstep.
 
Currently exhibiting a local high-rising artist, the entire ground floor section is temporarily dedicated to the work of Kossi Aguessy. The Lomé resident had cultural roots in Togo as well as in Benin and Brazil. This modern representation of human life surely resonates in his work, with his influences stretching beyond borders and beyond heroes. Since his death in 2017 aged just 40, the Togolese have endeavoured to display his opus in their home nation, and this has become their perfect opportunity. Aguessy’s works can also be found displayed in various global venues of high reputation including the Museum of Modern Art to the Centre Pompidou.
 
Opened in 2019, the renovated Palais de Lomé gained public interest at the time with a Togolese exhibition that breathed new life into the old and historical building. Now that the pandemic has passed and the world is opening up to tourism and trips, the exhibition centre is banging their drum loudly to remind us all to pay attention to their marvellous museum. The immediate grounds are in fact overflowing with display material. A modern touch extends outward with photography and film exhibits plus workshops spanning across local communities. This helps to emphasise the idea that the regenerated space is for the people at home and not those abroad. Visitors are welcome, and there is probably a gift shop, but it’s the community who benefits in the long run no matter what.
 
All the texts on display are written in the three main languages of the country. English, French, and the local language Ewe all feature in order to unify the speakers and draw everyone in equally. Because Ewe is not a common language in the world, by using it to communicate to a mass audience in this way, the centre is helping to solidify the language for the future. The local setting truly makes its mark on the whole picture being painted by the exhibition centre. Modern and traditional methods feature everywhere with displays made from woodwork, metalwork, pottery, painting, textile as well as photography, video, and more. A massive collection of varied media is what a culture needs to communicate its soul to the outside world and with a growing ocean of opportunity to become part of the story, Togo stands to ring in the new year and beyond with a proud and preserved national heritage.
 

Since Bloomberg reported on the “Black art gold-rush” back in 2018, many African artists have enjoyed a swift boost in popularity. Especially with social media helping people with an internet connection reach the eyes and ears of anyone else with one, the benefits to developing and newly developed nations are easy to see. Crossing borders and hurdling cultural differences, a good piece of art speaks for itself and often sells for more than reasonable prices. When Godwin Champs Namuyimba found repute with his own exquisite talents, something caught fire and the desire to burn bright with his name spread around the artworld.
 
The rise in popularity for African artists meant that quality spoke louder than experience, and names that so far had not been seen in big exhibitions or selective showcases were able to stand shoulder to shoulder with more well-known creators. A bright future seemed available for so many who had previously been selling work for pedestrian prices to the mainstream. Being whisked away from the high street stall and into the classy and exclusive venues is a dream for many painters and other artists. When a trend takes place and you’ve positioned yourself well, then the odds are in your favour.
 
With a keen desire to reach some kind of professional standard when it comes to selling art, Namuyimba sought representation and support to raise his game. With an expert understanding of the scene and the way forward for artists in his position, Stjarna Art signed the artist to their books and took care of the process of production and resale. Previously to this arrangement, Namuyimba had worked with a French gallery however during the pandemic he was unable to complete his contract and his visa never materialised for his appearance at the exhibit. If it hadn’t been for Stjarna, Namuyimba may have suffered the same kinds of defeat due to finance and struggle. 

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During 2020 when Namuyimba’s work first went on sale in auction, his works received good coverage and reached several thousand dollars each. Collectors were very happy to pay decent sums for the so far little-known painter from Uganda. Even with a smudge on his backstory with unkept promises, the community seemed to be able to put it down to the stresses of covid and not the character of the individual. From spending time in a spartan apartment in Uganda with a few pieces of Belgian canvas he’d imported, and very little else, to receiving four and five figure sums for his hard work was a big leap. An advance was provided with a ten-painting deal which gave Namuyimba the tools he needed to thrive.
 
It didn’t stop there. When he discovered that he was an investment that art collectors saw value in, Namuyimba took his skills to as many beneficiaries as he could. A team of artists had enjoyed his work in the past and he was able to locate one in particular who pushed his financial situation into the next league. Receiving around $450,000 for 25 future works of size and quality, the artist was suddenly free from the constraints of financial dependency. With many conflicting projects that required his complete attention, it seemed that Namuyinba could sit back and get his head down to work.
 
Rumours of a seedy reputation in his old art scene began to rise, possibly from jealous peers who didn’t meet the standard, and these ultimately ended Namuyimba’s deal with Stjarna Art. It was fairly messy with a booked expo being let down in the process. With the breach of contract in place with third-party investors that gave Namuyimba such a large financial boost, and the unsavoury rumours, the art firm not only cut their ties but changed their history, one client claiming to never have represented the artist but only collaborated with him during 2020. 

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Perhaps the big take home sense from this artist's journey is that when you come from a community that has less experience in something, it’s easy to get lost and swept up by the forces at play there. We can sometimes get caught by the tide of expectation and eager anticipation offered by well-meaning players in the scene. Even then, we can make mistakes, upset a few people, and still find our way to the top of the mountain. It just takes the courage to keep moving forward.
 
Via ArtNews 
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