For The Girls: Faridah Folawiyo is making Black art accessible, one exhibition at a time
"We think about how to create safe spaces of community and fun for everything."
For many years, the Art world has maintained a white, male face but we’re coming into times where Black artists are gaining similar levels of recognition. Defying the status quo, a number of independent artists and art lovers came together to form their own communities where they can exist and flourish without validation from the industry’s gatekeepers. With the advent of the internet and peer-to-peer networking, the interconnectivity of artists is like never before. They are adamantly making their voices heard and garnering the attention they deserve, with or without a co-sign from MoMA’s and Tate’s of the world. One of such communities is run by Nigerian curator, Faridah Folawiyo.
At the core of Faridah’s curatorial visions in the contemporary art space is a passion for championing Black art and artists, and making art accessible for a young and curious generation. Reflecting her passion for ensuring African art is not boxed into stringent and lazy categories, Faridah established FF Projects, a love letter to Black African art. In an attempt to bridge this gap, FF Projects came into fruition to create a a space for Black art to be consumed and appreciated solely for its existence.
View this post on Instagram
Folawiyo’s appreciation for art goes beyond its mere aesthetic quality, Faridah tells me she was simply born for this. “People have also been telling me for years and years that I should do it by myself but you can only come to that sort of conclusion when you’re ready. I think I was just ready when I was,” she says to the NATIVE.
When she was in university, she took a History of Art course which piqued her interest in a long-time career in the Art world, buoyed by encouragement from her then professor, Chika Okeke-Agulu. She was also raised in a home that appreciated African art by her mother, Reni Folawiyo, the founder of Alara – West Africa’s first fashion luxury and lifestyle concept store. Now, with a robust background working on freelance projects such as Art X Live and more, Faridah is working more on her own individual projects.
Her recent project MANIFOLD was a lush visual curation with strong themes of Black culture and experiences. The art showcase featured works from 15 black female artists including Fadekemi Ogunsanya, Isabel Okoro, Oluwakemi Lidaju, Oluwatobiloba Ajayi and more. The showcase which ran last November, 2022 , furthered Faridah’s mission to grow a wholesome community for artists and art lovers, one exhibition at a time. “What ‘MANIFOLD’ gave these artists was a sense of community. It gave that to me as well. A sense of community and support wrapped up in something that’s there to hold you up,” she shares.
Outside of art, Faridah is also championing wholesome Black experiences for people both in London and Nigeria. Her entertainment outfit – No Fronting – is a rolling party collective that celebrates safe and representative spaces for people to let their hair down and have a good time. “We think about how to create safe spaces of community and fun for everything. There’s definitely similarities between everything I do,” shares Faridah.
With MANIFOLD 2.0 only a few days away, we spoke to Faridah about her curatorial experiences, the genesis of the establishment of two powerful initiatives, FF Projects and No Fronting, and more.
View this post on Instagram
The conversation which follows below has been lightly edited for clarity.
NATIVE: What prompted you to start FF Projects?
Faridah: I’ve worked for different companies and late last year or earlier this year when I was into freelancing, I was having a lot of conversations with some gallerists and different institutions. Putting on shows for them helped me see that I could put it on for myself. It felt like there was always going to be a discrepancy between what I love and what I want to show with the barriers that are put in place in institutions. That is obviously normal but I just felt like there was something that meant me doing this by myself. People have also been telling me for years and years that I should do it by myself but you can only come to that sort of conclusion when you’re ready. I think I was just ready when I was.
Since creating FF Projects, what has your curatorial experience been like in the contemporary art space?
It’s been amazing. ‘MANIFOLD’ has been the main show that I’ve worked on this year and it feels kind of life changing in the sense that we got to do that as 15 Black women. We made a space for ourselves and we made a space that we were very comfortable in. For me, as my first independent curatorial project, it set the tone for what I know I want going forward. I think when you have an intense educational background, you have all these ideas of what you’re supposed to do. You now turn that on its head in a way that works for me and the artists as well. That has also allowed me to reconsider what the traditional methods are and how they don’t suit me.
Do you have a specific goals or visions you hold on to going into the shows you curate?
I say this a lot but I really think the idea of comfort is important to me. I think that’s what I was really happy about with ‘MANIFOLD.’ Anyone that came into the space spent a lot of time because they felt comfortable in it. I think that I was more interested in what a random person that came in felt, as opposed to any of the art people that I know. That, I would say is more important to me. What is the initial visceral reaction to the work. The idea of comfort would always be something that I am thinking about. Art should not be alienated to anyone.
Yes I’d say accessibility is very important.
Exactly, it should be accessible. So I’m thinking curatorially, how can you make that happen? That is my constant challenge and something that I always want to be thinking about.
View this post on Instagram
How important is it for black artists to have a platform like FF projects to showcase their works?
I don’t know in terms of importance because I think the artists that I brought together are amazing and would always have some sort of platform. However, what ‘MANIFOLD’ gave these artists was a sense of community. It gave that to me as well. A sense of community and support wrapped up in something that’s there to hold you up. I think that’s what ‘MANIFOLD’ did for me and the artists I’ve spoken to. A feeling of ‘ok, I’m not alone in this.’ Not only am I not alone, I’m surrounded by amazing women who are doing amazing things and there to cheer me on. The sense of community was more important than the platform.
Have you had any particular challenges that standout with curating?
Curating is hard. I think putting together the show is a lot because I’m working with 15 artists so you’d imagine the number of moving parts. Logistically it was crazy and you also have to learn how to manage different personalities. I was working with amazing people who helped me in terms of modelling the space. I would always move things around within the model so I already knew where each artwork was going. There’s a lot of doubt that goes into that process. You’re thinking, ‘what if this doesn’t look good here?’ or people might not understand the relationship I’m trying to show between here and there.
Has curating changed how you view art? Do you have more appreciation for artists as individuals?
Definitely, but also for curators as well. I’ve always been in awe of artists. A lot of my best friends are artists and when I watch their processes, I think about how crazy it is. ‘MANIFOLD’ opened me up to 15 different processes and it’s amazing. I remember the curators that I know have done such big shows and think that’s crazy, hats off to you.
Has the No Fronting Collective helped you find that golden thread between music and art?
The way we work in ‘No Fronting’ is something I try to carry into my own curatorial practice which is essentially not taking yourself too seriously. Understanding that while I’m creating art, it is to be consumed, understood and enjoyed. With both those things, we’re always thinking about that. Us at ‘No Fronting’ are incredibly over educated but it’s very important for us to not hit people in the head with that. We think about how to create safe spaces of community and fun for everything. There’s definitely similarities between everything I do and me trying to stay as far away from the pretentious as possible. That is very hard but I think about how to not only make it accessible but help people feel things.
View this post on Instagram
What’s your advice to people who want to begin curating, particularly young black women?
I’m not in any place to give anyone any advice but I think everything comes down to what you like and how does that sort of translate. How do you create a physical embodiment of that. I’d also recommend finding that sense of community that you can build and be a part of.
Are there any changes you’d like to see in the art industry in Nigeria, Africa or globally?
Oh wow, don’t get me started. I mean I’m trying to be less shady now but thinking about Nigeria specifically, I do think there is a lot of space for female artists to shine. I would love a world in which all female art practitioners have the same opportunities as the male ones. From artists to curators to gallerists to dealers to gallery owners and just in general. I’m always rooting for the black woman. If we could take over that space some more, I’d be super happy but that would take time.
Do you have any plans to open up a permanent gallery space for showcases or is there a value in moving locations per exhibition?
I think that the value that I find, I always say is about asking questions rather than answering them. The shifting of context allows me to view that. The way I design a show in London, I don’t believe that that would make sense in Lagos. Cultural specificities and how different cultures react to art and the way in which they consume it. Context affects the presentation of artworks and the perception of it. For now, at the very least, I like the nomadic model because it allows me to ask questions. In terms of permanence, I’m not sure. I might eventually get tired but for now I’m open to seeing how different places react to different artist and works.
View this post on Instagram
Featured Image Credits/NATIVE
Nwanneamaka couples her creative interests with her individuality, using writing as a vessel for her expression.
ICYMI: FOR THE GIRLS: YTBOUTTHATACTION IS AS REAL AS IT GETS
