I was asked to be interviewed on Inspiration Network Radio a little while ago..
My interview is in the second part of the show and starts at 1:11:00!
Check it out here: (Dutch)
Read about me on their website (in english) here:
inspirationfm.nl
but I’m still here
surviving the cold and waiting for warmer days
mixed emotions and upcoming projects filled up my mind
today the sun shows her slow return
..made me ease and get back my inner peace
ready for another new chapter
season change
(pictures taken somewhere 6 months ago)
For the official afterparty of Afrikadag (Africaday), ‘Africa At Night’ I was asked to expose some of my work in the ‘Sugar Factory’ in Amsterdam. Afrikadag is the biggest event in The Netherlands that is about Africa and international collaborations. It is a day full of different kind of performances like music, poetry, dance and lectures that all have the same goal: sharing knowledge and thoughts about Africa.
It was quite short notice that Christian Nana asked me to expose, and I really wanted to show new work here. I already made a portrait of Fela Kuti in 2011 and I was planning to make more portraits of him anyways. So when I only had one month to paint a serie for ‘Africa At Night’, I figured that would be the best thing to do. I made 7 paintings that month, 3 portraits of fela and 4 portraits of some of his queens. The best add I could give to Afrikadag!
It was a good night, friends showed up to support me, my mother was there!, I did some bodypaint on visitors, people where interested in my work (also two men from Lagos! Too bad I hadn’t had the time to decide proper prices for my paintings, or else I would’ve sold some, oh well.. next time! It’s such an amazing feeling to know that people are truly interested), saw several performances (music and comedy), there was african food and overall a really warm and good vibe!
I will soon make proper pictures of this selection of paintings and add them in the ‘art’ section of my website!
Last weekend I worked again for This Is Afrika via W.O.T.S./NoLimitzo at The Hague African Festival 2012.
This was the second time I did bodypaint-pieces at a festival, and it was interesting to have experienced the difference between them (Previous festival was Open Air Festival, read about it here) since they both had a different target-group and for example this time I worked a lot with kids and parents and the previous time it where all young (drunk/party/cool-with-everything/going wild) kinda people.
Portrait of me by Janine Van Oene
Just found on the net .. was made for Nuit Blanche 2010
So I am doing a project with my friend Angela Tellier (photographer) in which I bodypaint (improvise) people and she shoots portraits of them. This is a ‘making of’ video filmed and edited By Benjamin Thenu during my 4th session bodypainting my friend Claudio Ritfeld aka Claudius de KrentenKoning. After this he used it also for a performance during my neighbor Marvin’s houseparty where also a video was shooted which I will post soon!
On may 26th and 27th I did bodypaint-pieces in the ‘This Is Africa’ area on the ‘Open Air Festival 2012′ in Amsterdam (Gaasperplas). These two days where amazing, it was my first time to work on a festival and together with the team we did a great job I think. All the people where really enthusiastic about our stage and came back the second day for more. People where standing in line for my body-paints all day and it was hard to catch a break. Let’s hope ‘Open Air’ will give even a bigger stage to ‘This Is Africa’ next year! Oh and the weather was a-ma-ziiinng!!
Wow! So I just have to rant about this. I just checked out at work earlier since it was 1. Very quiet, 2. I just got my period and 3. We have an intern so we where with too many anyway. And I walked passed this second-hand bookstore called “Kok Boeken” in the ‘Oude Hoogstraat’ in Amsterdam. I have passed that store so many times and dreamed away in there display of old rare books but everytime it was already closed, because I also work in a store and we close at the same time. And when I’m free, I’m not going to the center to shop quite often.
So today I could finally peek into the paradise.. The smell was so warm and adventureous, I love it! The shop-assistants where very kind and helped me out/ showed me around (two floors) since I was looking for a specific genre for a friend of mine whos just as crazy about reading as I am. I spoke with two other customers and felt a really warm energy. I could have spend hours in that store but after I found 5 books that I truly wanted (no-crazy-shop-addiction-buy-buy-buy-chick! I truly wanted them) I figured I needed to go and pay for my found treasures and get out before I went really wild. Besides I still needed to do groceries. But I’ll surely be back!
Then after that I went to ‘The American Book Center’ on Spui, and what I experienced there was the total opposite! I came in and asked about this offer they had on ‘Moleskine’ journals, since I really needed to buy an agenda (I’m so hectic lately, I have my inner peace but I keep forgeting appoinments). And this shop-assistant looks at me without any kind smile in response to my smile at him, replying with things very short and grumpy. Various other customers in the store where getting on my nerves because of their loudness and after the shop-assistant in the ‘spiritual section’ helped me out very kindly though, I wanted to purchase my new angenda and nobody was behind the counter. So I waited a little while, and a line developed behind me. Nobody was coming, so I walked towards the first shop-assistant I saw and asked (with a smile) ‘Excuse me sir, is there possibly a colleaque of yours (he seemed busy with somebody else) that could help us at the counter please?’ He (it almost seemed as if he growled but that was probably only in my imagination that was created after seeing his facial expression) replied with ‘NO, ehdbjdiwhdndn (could not hear what he was saying)’ without even looking at me and he walked towards the counter. He probably was saying something like ‘no, I will go to the counter’ and so.. I checked out the agenda and left..
WTF!??? What a different worlds!!
This always annoy me soooo much, shop-assistants that act this way.. While I am being kind and polite towards them and while I even though I do not feel very well, am kind and polite to my customers at work all day 4/5 days in the week… Egh!
Well at least it inspired me to write on my blog again!
Barbara shot a streetstyle photo of me a little longer than a year ago while I was working at Zipper in the 9 streets, and now asked me if she could integrate me in her 5 years project: ‘Un An Plus Tard’. It is an amazing project where she first finds interesting people on the street and shoot a portrait of them. Then after a year she shoots a portrait of them (of the selected people) again and add another photo next to it which is in the second year, a still-life photo of special belongings of the person itself that will represent them in a very personal way, with explanation of the items under it.
Book “”Fela (- ‘This Bitch Of A Life’)”: I am interested in this book because of the Nigerian musician from the 70′s ‘Fela Anikulapo Kuti’. He is the one who composed the ‘Afrobeat’ genre. I adore this book not only because this music is really part of me, my hart and my soul but also because the person itself is really intriguing.
Plant: this little branch represent my love for nature. I enjoy nature a lot and I really believe in energies. When I am looking to everything which is biological, I am really grateful for what nature is offering me.
Chain: I only feel good when I am dressed the way I want. First I am choosing a color that fits my mood then it can turn into various looks which mostly have an ethnical 80′s or 90′s touch.
Pretty much each day I am wearing plenty of chains and scarfs in my hair.
Gula Djawa (Palm Sugar) en Kemiri Nuts: Two indonesian ingredients. I like to cook various dishes so I try to learn receipe from different countries. From Greece to Indonesian and Surinamese. Therefore, in order to do it as it should, I am often using ingredients that not many people know.
Incense: At home I like to create an optimal atmosphere and Incense gives this special touch.
Wooden Elephants: Wood represents again my affection for nature. And The olifant my affinity with Africa, which I think started with music. My father was a musician and played different kind of instruments such as saxofoon and flute. Moreover he played mostly funk/jazz so that’s what I was hearing all the time at home. Nowadays, when I hear african rhrythms (that are present in so many sorts of music) I get a recognizable and familiar feeling; as if “I am home”. From this initial interest, arised new ones linked to this continent. That’s the only explanation I have for this tenderness I developped for Africa…The rest is pure intuitivity.
Feathers and Branches: Again to express my fusion with nature. When I see them on the street, I can’t resist taking them with me.
Cat: An egyptian statue (Goddess in the shape a cat: Bastet). Cats in ancient Egypt symbolized clairvoyance, mystery and transformation but above all they were lucky animals. I am also known as “the crazy-catlady” because I’m crazy about cats.
Posca-marker, Ara Paint en Fineliner: represents the fact that I am an artist. I am a painter and illustrator and make portraits but also (in combination with realistic, abstract and impressionist) colored atmosphere paintings with women figures and ethnic patterns. I would love to develop new techniques such as woodcarving but for now these are the utensils I am using the most.
Candle: It’s also (such as the incense) a big part of the atmsophere of my house. When I am alone or with friends, my candles are always lit.
Perfume: This special perfume with spicy elements, adds something personal to my appearance and it makes me feel good. Fragrances are very strong stimulators for moods, and so it enhances my everyday life.
Book: “The invention of Humanity”: is my favorite book. It gives a brief worldhistory about the vieuws on equity that overpass cultural and civilizations borders. I would love to be self taught in many disciplines and also in Anthropology as I find the way that people live and think amazingly interesting. Therefore this book offers a lot of information to increase my knowledge.
Last night we had our second house-party at my neighbor Marvin aka Barbapapa. One room redecorated as a mini club with great sound & lights, a smoking-lounge with all kinds of art hanging on the walls, a game-room with oldskool games and people were also chilling in the kitchen of course.
This week I was asked to be photographed for an ‘Amsterdam’s Style-icons’ item on Fashionchick.nl While I was taking a coffee & ciggy break at work (Zipper)
Love it haha!
My new nextdoor neighbor and friend
Has been giving his living-room (actually more of his house, there’s a lounge & smoking-area too lol) rebuild as a small club. It was released during last NYE when we’d also organized a small party there and now that he has installed club lights as well it’s ready for the next (level) houseparty, somewhere in february I believe.
