Textual inscription in the work of South African photographer George Hallett from the 1960s to 1980s

This research examines the relationship between text and image in the work of South African photographer George Hallett (1942-2020). It proceeds from the first presence of written signs on the walls of the Cape Town neighbourhood of District Six, in scenes photographed by Hallett in the 1960s at the beginning of his career. It then explores how his interaction with African literature informed image-making processes in his practice as he went in exile in London in 1970. Anchoring my research within discourses on iconography pertaining to the work of black artists and the field of black representation, such as those developed by art historian Kobena Mercer, I am proposing an in-depth examination of Hallett’s pre- and exile work, both visually and through the cross-disciplinary interactions from which it emerged. At the core of my interrogation lies the issue of, how does one fill the gaps overlooked by dominant Eurocentric art histories. Especially as it relates to black or brown artists who have lived and worked in the West, in this instance, London. Equally, how does one fill the missing chapters in South African art history, in the case of artists who lived in exile during the years of apartheid and consequently are subject to a double form of erasure. My thesis seeks to contribute to the production of new art historical knowledge by addressing the underrepresentation of Hallett’s work in a context where it has a legitimate place. It also aims to make this research accessible to British and international audiences through a practical component consisting of an exhibition, a public programme, and an online resource

Reflections on the self: Five African women photographers

Reflections on the Self features five contemporary African women photographers whose work deals with women's narratives through self-portraits or portraits of others. The artists are Hélène Amouzou (Togo, Belgium), Majida Khattari (Morocco, France), Zanele Muholi (South Africa), Senayt Samuel (Eritrea, UK), and Nontsikelelo Veleko (South Africa). The exhibition, curated by Christine Eyene, focuses on female photographic practice in Africa and the diaspora, and examines the gaze of women photographers and how this is informed by the politics of representation. The title refers literally to the mirror image and also to photography as a means of thinking about the self, as both subject and object

Yinka Shonibare: La Méduse

Article on Yinka Shonibare's 'La Méduse' in the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco exhibition catalague 'Building a Collection' (Construire une Collection)

Photoquai - Biennial of World images - Africa

"Photoquai brings together contemporary photographers hailing from the geographical regions represented in the Quai Branly’s collections: Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Photoquai 2011 will present 400 pieces by 46 photographers from 30 countries, selected by curators Christine Barthe (Chile), Christian Caujolle (Brazil, Cambodia, Cuba), Olivier Culmann (India), Christine Eyene (Africa), Céline Martin-Raget (Australia, New Zealand), Mouna Mekouar (North Africa, Middle East), Sylvie Rebbot (China, Japan, Korea) and Anna Shpakova (Belarus, Russia).

WHERE WE'RE AT! Other Voices on Gender

WHERE WE’RE AT! Other Voices on Gender is an exhibitions developed for the Summer of Photography 2014 themed on gender relations at Bozar, Brussels, from 18 June – 31 August 2014. The artists featured are Hélène Amouzou (Togo/Belgium), Rehema Chachage (Tanzania), Angèle Étoundi Essamba (Cameroon/Netherlands), Cecilia Ferreira (South Africa), Lisa Hilli (Papua New Guinea/Australia), Hélène Jayet (Mali/France), Katia Kameli (Algeria/France), Majida Khattari (Morocco/France), Shigeyuki Kihara (Samoa/New Zealand), Michèle Magéma (DRC/France), Ato Malinda (Kenya), Zanele Muholi (South Africa), Maud Sulter (Ghana/Scotland), Alberta Whittle (Barbados/South Africa) and Mwangi Hutter (Kenya/Germany). Curated by Christine Eyene, this exhibition brings together more than 80 pieces comprising photographs and videos, as well as archival material from the Making Histories Visible project, dealing with the body, gender and sexuality, spanning from the 1980s up to our time. The works selected gives an insight of visual responses to gendered experiences as diverse as the artists individual concerns, practices and the geographical contexts from which they emerge, Africa, the Caribbean, Pacific Islands or today’s recomposed Diasporas. The trilingual catalogue (English, French, Dutch) edited by Christine Eyene, with a foreword by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director, is published by SILVANA EDITORIALE and BOZAR BOOKS. This exhibition was co-produced by BOZAR, Centre for Fine Arts and The Royal Museum for Central Africa in partnership with the University of Central Lancashire

Sekoto and negritude: the ante-room of French culture

Gerard Sekoto (1913-1993), one of the pioneers of African Modernism, left South Africa in 1947 to further his art training in France and engage with the School of Paris that had been so influential in the development of South African Modern art. Having managed to overcome the colour bar in a society that was racially divided well before the advent of Apartheid, Sekoto found himself alienated in post-war Paris. A Black African with no command of the French language, stumbling against the Euro-centrism of the Parisian art scene, he found a sense of community with the French-speaking African and Caribbean Diaspora rallied behind the concept of Negritude. Drawing on written resources and testimonies from Sekoto's friends, this essay investigates the painter's relation to Neacutegritude from a French/Diaspora perspective and proposes to examine the contrasting responses of Sekoto and his mentor Ernest Mancoba to this movement

Sounds Like Her (2017-2019)

Sounds Like Her is a major sound art exhibition curated in collaboration with New Art Exchange, Nottingham. The project was developed over 2 years from 2015 to 2017. The exhibition launched at New Art Exchange in October 2017 and closed in January 2018. In the development phase of this project, New Art Exchange applied for and successfully secured an Arts Council Strategic touring grant in order to reach out to new audiences, particularly in the North of England. Although it has been a challenge reaching conclusive conversations with some of the touring venues we hoped, including the Harris Museum in Preston, Sounds Like Her is now touring to York Art Gallery in July 2019 and Gallery Oldham in September 2019. Sounds Like Her (2017-2019) http://www.nae.org.uk/exhibition/sounds-like-her/134 https://eyonart.org/slh

George Hallett: the making of an archive

This essay focuses on the historical documentation produced by South African photographer George Hallett in South African in the late 1960s and its resonance in the book covers he designed for Heinemann’s African Writers Series in the 1970s-80s, as well as his artistic dialogue with Gavin Jantjes. Focusing on iconography and creative processes this chapter aims to highlight the development of an informal archive and the importance of pictorial repositories well before this primary photographic material was deemed of any institutional value. Stemming from a context of apartheid and exile, this essay attempts to make a case for contemporary forms of transmission of African histories within a Diasporic setting acting both as a creative environment, and keeper of collective memories at the junction of African and Diaspora cultures

Resonances : Second Movement

As part of Le Printemps de Septembre 2016 in Toulouse (France), led by Christian Bernard, Espace Croix-Baragnon is presenting Resonances: Second Movement an exhibition exploring the notion of rhythm in the work of artists from diverse backgrounds. Resonances is the second chapter of the project All Of Us Have Sense Of Rhythm presented at David Roberts Art Foundation (DRAF), London in 2015, which title was inspired by an anecdote by Langston Hughes, a seminal figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Recalling in an interview how he became a poet – a practice requiring a sense of rhythm – Hughes mentioned how he was then subject of the stereotype whereby all black people have a sense of rhythm. Drawing from Léopold Sédar Senghor’s writings and the history of American musical avant-garde, this exhibition highlights a number of lineages between non-western traditional arts and the much broader field of contemporary practices that have remained overlooked in mainstream interpretations of contemporary arts and cultures. Presented across Croix-Baragnon’s two spaces, the Gallery and Espace III, the exhibition features music scores, videos, sculptures, paintings, poetry, photography and sound art by artists John Cage, Ayoka Chenzira, Satch Hoyt, Langston Hughes, Madeleine Mbida, Yinka Shonibare MBE and William Titley

YaPhoto – Yaounde Photo Network

YaPhoto – Yaounde Photo Network is a new platform based in Yaounde (Cameroon) dedicated to promoting fine art, documentary and experimental photography, as well as lens-based practices including video and new media arts. Adding to the local artistic landscape, with an international outlook, YaPhoto aims to nurture, support, and give exposure to an emerging generation of talented local photographers. Our objectives are: •to raise an interest in photography and related practices in Cameroon •to promote photographers by enabling them to showcase their work •to create stimulating encounters between image-makers and audiences •to foster collaborations between similar photography platforms in Africa and beyond •to assist photographers achieve levels of viability and sustainability •to contribute to mutual enrichment through knowledge sharing and cultural dialogue. Launched in September 2016 as yaphoto.co, an independent online platform presenting works by Cameroonian photographers, YaPhoto’s year-long programme includes research, workshops, professional encounters, exhibitions, and various public events. YaPhoto is open to the submission of portfolios by Cameroonian or resident photographers