Join us in welcoming the varied and talented successful applicants to our first ever !GWAK online collaboration residency.
FUNGAI MARIMA
Work by Fungai Marima
LEFT: Fungai; Right: Work by Fungai
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Fungai Marima. I was born and raised in Zimbabwe and I’m currently based in London, UK.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a multimedia artist, whose practice is interested in ideas around the body as an archive and influenced by methods of making within printmaking, film, performance and sound.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
I’m driven by personal and collective narratives within contemporary culture, looking at themes of trauma, displacement, identity and female cultural experiences. Processes of making also assist in my drive to create: how different materials, such as the boundary of the body (skin), interact with different surfaces in its surroundings.
ARHANTIKA REBELLO
'Aunties' by Arhantika Rebello for DOCKS Magazine
LEFT: Arhantika; RIGHT: Work by Arhantika
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Arhantika and I’m a 21 year old photographer from India, currently based in London!
WHAT DO YOU DO?
My main interest is in fashion and editorial photography, despite doing a degree in photojournalism. I’m still working on finding my niche, but at the moment I’m enjoying just having fun and experimenting with ideas and concepts whilst working with other inspiring creatives. I also run a youth-focused digital content platform called QUAKE Digital, (www.quakemagazine.com) which seeks to celebrate youth through unabashed and honest art and to act as a platform for their voices as well.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
My creativity is driven from so many things! It’s driven by aspects of life as simple as what I see on Instagram or someone’s outfit on the street, to all the countries I’ve lived in and the cultures I’ve been privileged enough to experience. I’m also constantly inspired and driven by all my creative friends!
MAGGZ
Maggz
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I’m Maggz, a movement and multidisciplinary artist based in Melbourne.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I specialise in Waacking - a dance style originated in 1970s LA from the LGBTQ community, predominantly involving arm movements. Traversing amongst dance battles, live performances, installations and interdisciplinary collaborations with other artists, I aspire to explore the possibilities of art and creativity whilst to honour the unique being of self and others.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
Everyday nuances; human relations; materials; emotions; conflicts; unknown; consciousness; beings; aliveness.
JACK SOLEMDAL-LOWE
Jack
Stills from work by Jack Lowe
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I'm Jack Solemdal Lowe and I'm a half Norwegian filmmaker from Bristol, currently living in London.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I create short films, documentaries and audiovisual projects focusing on nature within us as humans and in the world around us.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
My drive for creativity comes from a search to discover meaning in life and communicate emotions and ideas that are not explainable any other way. To evoke in someone an emotion where words fail me, and then to feel some kind of connection from that, to feel less alone.
IMOGEN DONEGAN
LEFT & RIGHT: Work by Imogen; CENTRE: Imogen
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I am a multimedia illustrator from Bangor (near Belfast in NI) studying at the University of Brighton for my second year.
WHAT DO YOU DO? I am currently passionate about making 3D illustrations which I then photograph. I'm interested in lighting and atmosphere in my work to portray narrative.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
Observations from life drives my creativity. Most of my ideas are formed when I'm cycling in the outdoors. I'm interested in representing emotion in images through the use of the human form.
DJENABA DAVIS-EYO
Djenaba
Work by Djenaba
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Djenaba, also known by my pseudonym Damsel Elysium. I'm from London, UK.
WHAT DO YOU DO? I do a lot of things, too many probably, but I suppose they all fit under visual and auditory art. I privately explore the world through imagery like analogue photography, film and fine art. I publicly and privately document my experiences through sound and music; I play double bass and violin and create textural soundscapes to connect with others and tell abstract stories. Eventually I want to transcend just the two senses (seeing and listening) and translate every human experience into an art.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
I'm basically an interdisciplinary artist, so pretty much everything and anything drives me; the world is both my inspiration and canvas. However, that being said, it also means I get overstimulated and overwhelmed easily, and tend to shut down for long periods of time, only creating in short bursts. Those bursts tend to be driven by a series of intense experiences... it's both a blessing and a curse I guess.
KEN NAKAJIMA
CENTRE: Ken; LEFT AND RIGHT: Work by Ken
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I am a multi-disciplinary artist originally from Tokyo, now living in North London. I have worked professionally from a young age ,starring in productions such as Madam Butterfly, The Barber of Seville, Wozzeck, Der Rosenkavalier at the New National Opera House in Tokyo, alongside other operas and theatre. I have extensively trained as a dancer, competing in championships representing the United Kingdom twice at the UDO World Street Dance championships. I have worked with ITV, BFI and Channel 5 on creative projects. I am currently an associate artist for the State of the Art collective, with past projects including working with the National Theatre in Rome at the Dominio Pubblico Arts Festival.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
My work covers aspects of theatre, dance, lighting design and visual arts. My main practice particularly focuses on movement, choosing to exhibit this focus through the experimentation of the human body and condition, assisted by mythological and psychological themes. I gravitate towards unconventional storytelling, with a concentration on semiotic imagery, whilst still grasping the solidity and familiar concept of narrative.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
I could never pinpoint the source of my creative drive, but it's always been there for me and having this deep fascination with the world around me. Even from a young age, it's always offered me comfort and a sense of liberation.
WING MAN (ERIN) TSE
'Layout' - Erin Tse
LEFT: 'Sunday Afternoon' - Erin Tse; RIGHT: Erin
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I am a London-based artist and set designer. WHAT DO YOU DO?
Using paintings and illustration, I explore my sexuality, desires, race and mental health. WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
I produce work to provoke and amuse my audiences.
LOUISE HALL
‘13 Dead Nothing Said’ by Louise Hall
Louise & Work
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Hello, I am Louise Hall, but people also call me Lou. I was born in London and now spend my time between Bournemouth and Watford. I have recently graduated with a BA in Fine Art; now I am working full time as a Student Union President.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Whilst also being a workshop facilitator, I am a multidisciplinary artist who bounces between performance and sculptural work, which is unpinned by printmaking. I am a member of the Dolphin Collective, which facilitates a reading group around accessibility in the arts and arts education.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
As a creative I am interested in Black British experience and theories. I am driven by research, lived experiences, histories, conversations and collaborations.
LUKE MITCHELL
Luke
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I’m Luke and I’m from London.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I write songs and poems and stories, and sometimes draw.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY? The feeling of mutual recognition when somebody else understands what I’m trying to do in a piece.
PRITHY PARAMSOTHY
LEFT & RIGHT: Work by Prithy; CENTRE: Prithy
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My names Prithy Paramsothy and I’m from London, currently studying my masters in Manchester.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I'm studying Illustration.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY? Wanting to be an inspiration, driven by past artists like Basquiat and Keith Haring. I want to create relevant art that explores diversity and my life so far.
KIELY SUGAYAN
LEFT: Kiely; RIGHT: Work by Kiely
Work by Kiely
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Kiely Sugayan and I am from Chicago, Illinois in the USA.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am primarily a writer focusing on playwriting, but I also love to make collages and have recently started my own clothing brand!
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
My creativity is driven by both strong emotion and curiosity. Some of my favorite stuff I've made has come out of trying to process my emotions when I don't understand them, or when an idea crosses my mind and I think "is this even possible? Let's find out!"
EMILLIE STOREY
Emillie
Work by Emillie
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My Name is Emillie Storey and I'm from Poole, Dorset (the south coast of the UK) but I’m currently living in London.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I’m a dancer presently in my third year of studying BA Contemporary Dance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
My creativity is driven substantially by my emotions and by my environment, but I’m also hugely inspired by philosophy and the human condition. As well as dancing I paint, draw and write, so each aspect of my work fuels the other. I am constantly searching for ways to merge movement with other art forms and aim to create a space in my work for multiple mediums to amalgamate harmoniously.
SHAK ABBJOL-ALI
Shak
Work by Shak
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Shak, I'm from the UK but my family stems from Bangladesh.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I'm a photographer and I run AK Studios, an idea initially built to take an approach to photography that enticed fashion and art to create compelling and fascinating photos.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
My drive stemmed from the idea that photography was this wide open field where you could do anything. You want to take a picture of a fountain? Go for it! You want someone to stand in front of it wearing a pretty dress, whilst covered in spaghetti? Why not! Who's gonna stop you - no one, but you will need to work with others to help you do this. My drive is the idea that you can do anything, so why not do something with others.
ANNIE BROWN
Annie
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I'm Annie, and I was born somewhere in East London.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I write poetry, lyric and prose to say the things that are otherwise impossible to say: "I love you", "I don't love you anymore", "I'm sorry", "I'm not at home in this body".
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
There is no shortage of frustration and heartbreak, so I keep writing.
CHANTAY JAMES
Chantay
LEFT: 'Allegory of Merit Accompanied by Ebony'; CENTRE: 'Eclipse (Eclisse)'; RIGHT: 'Venus, in a Solitary State'
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I am a postgraduate Fine Artist called Chantay James. I am from the United Kingdom, specifically East London / Essex. My background is Caribbean, specifically St Lucia and Jamaica.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I create digital art which blurs the boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of representation and the critical portrayal of women, whilst addressing the lack of black female acknowledgment. Ultimately, my work places the black woman in art history - where she would usually be absent. I do this through a development process starting with performance, photography and digital art which eventually progresses into large scale paper and/or acetate prints, presented either 'traditionally' or as an installation. WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
I think the important message within my work is what drives me to keep making. Its educational, acknowledging and including conversation-starting elements, which I feel are more important now than ever – yet have always been important to me.
My work is a reflection of reality. At the same time, it is changing its notion.
I also enjoy working with people: the models/subjects I use bring different features to the work. Lastly, winning a runner up award at Truman’s Brewery, Free Range in 2019 determined personally that I needed to keep creating.
JAYDA DAVID
Jayda
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Jayda David, I’m 22 years old and I’m from Shepherd's Bush, West London.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I’m a Poet and Spoken Word Artist and I also facilitate poetry workshops, particularly on the themes of identity, mental health and Black British History.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
I’m most driven by the world around me. My art centres around things that impact my life and the lives of those around me. When I’m creating, I do so with the hope that it is either educational, cathartic or both.
ROSY SCHOFIELD
Work by Rosy
LEFT: Rosy; RIGHT: Work by Rosy
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Rosy Schofield, an illustrator/ fine artist from Southampton studying at KSA.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I do paintings and drawings of people. Writing is a baseline to my work, and sometimes I incorporate sculpture. My favourite foundation tutor said my painting and sculpture would never be separate.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
I am only completely absorbed in a drawing when it is of a person, and would therefore say it is people, predominantly women, that drive my practice. I recently did a project on moments of tenderness and the gendered power imbalances in relationships. I am also interested in props and puppets and surrealism in confessional work.
STELLA KAJOMBO
'Mnemosyne' - Stella Kajombo
LEFT: Stella; RIGHT: 'Second Skin' - Stella Kajombo
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO?
My name is Stella and I am a London based Malawian artist.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I would say that my work changes shape depending on the deeper context; however, my practice focuses on the black experience, particularly within a colonial context. I suppose with this I am always asking the 'why' and looking for the effect within the cause of what the post-colonial legal, institutional and social systems have constructed. With me, this can look like anything; from a photographic performance to a sculpture of a woven box or sometimes both. I've also become interested in materials: having previously worked with ice and fabric, I am fascinated by the possibilities of fibres, fabric and yarn, and slowly aim to explore their correlations with DNA and natural hair in the future. WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
I would say that what drives my creativity are definitely the questions that are forever circling in my head - I think every creative has them - where a question or an idea pops out from nowhere, and you almost become a version of Sherlock Holmes in order to find the answer. I would also say that people around me also drive my creativity, particularly my friends; again, it's those instant moments of casual conversation that end up sparking the biggest questions.
FLY CHENG
LEFT: Fly; RIGHT: Work by Fly
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Fly. I'm from Taiwan and used to live in London for about two years.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I'm a graphic designer and photographer.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
With a love of visual art, my creativity is driven by exploring the way to connect freely my intricate emotions through photography and graphic design.
SAMANTHA DOMINGO
LEFT: Sam; RIGHT: Work by Sam
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I'm Sam Domingo. I'm born and raised in the Philippines.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I write poems, long-form, and plays which I think are ugly because I focus on the nitty-gritty of unpleasant issues we collectively face. I also write for CODAME, an international arts NGO based in the US.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
I wish I was kidding, but deadlines force me to create something. I think this mindset follows after my college experience when I crammed my papers more often than not. Nonetheless, integral to my inspiration is my passion for silenced narratives. Every time I get exposed to stories of people who are too scared to talk or deliberately shushed, I want to raise their voices and delve deep into their lived experience in hopes of cultivating discussion (if not collective action). I'm also driven by weird encounters with people I meet or just rare feelings I experience.
CHIOMA EJIMOFO
Work by Chioma
LEFT: Chioma; RIGHT: Work by Chioma
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Chioma. I'm a filmmaker, photographer and artist based in London.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I love anything with surreal, dreamy and experimental visuals. I try to create art with similar vibes, using vivid colours and focusing on creating a story behind my subject. A lot of my photos, short films and paintings centre around the female gaze and the reclaiming of it, so my final pieces always feel personal to me.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
My work is very driven by nostalgia, relationships and memory and the way that it shapes us as people. I'm also inspired by real life and the little things that I try to capture in my art.
LINDITA KULLA
Lindita & Work
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Hi! I’m Lindita Kulla and I’m from Watertown, Connecticut. WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a mixed media content creator and I work specifically with film photography, poetry & prose, video and drawing as well!
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
What drives me creatively is my passion for sharing & telling stories. It is why I take photos, write scripts and find purpose in the seemingly mundane. I find most of my inspiration from artists like Van Gogh and writers like Phoebe Waller-Bridge. All life needs is a different perspective to yield incredibly creative results. I hope to share my world with you through my work with !GWAK.
MARZIEH DICKSON
LEFT & RIGHT: Work by Marzieh; CENTRE: Marzieh
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I am a student from London studying Fine Art at UAL. WHAT DO YOU DO?
My main focuses for my art are concepts and patterns, typically using maths in terms of measurements to study my subject of choice. Certain spaces are of particular interest to me, such as corners and angles in our environment. My outcomes are often very minimalistic, but packed with meaning and contents of what went behind the piece to create it. WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
What drives my creativity is knowledge, learning, and deep study of what sometimes could be considered mundane objects, leading to seeing things that weren't visible previously.
PENJANI MUNYENYEMBE
Work by Penjani
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Penjani Munyenyembe, I am currently living in Malawi, Southern Africa.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I'm an artist focusing on photography and film, but I have many more interests which support my art/creativity such as music, nature and creative spaces!
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
Life itself drives my creativity. Life is so creative, and just observing it is marvellous.
MADDISON COLLYMORE
LEFT & RIGHT: Work by Maddison; CENTRE: Maddison
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I am a practicing artist working within a multidisciplinary context, and I am currently living by the sea in Bournemouth, with a sponsored studio space in the New Forest.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Themes that drive my work include: body, ancestral relations, colonialism, power, habitual behaviours, care, community, access and inclusion. These often take the form of performance, sound, text, conversation, drawing or something entirely new!
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
The idea of making change and/or disruption is what powers my work.
MEREDITHE ETTRICH
Meredithe
Work by Meredithe
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Meredithe Ettrich and my pronouns are she/her. I'm a Washington, D.C. based photographer/director. I love to cook and read; my all time favorite authors are Mary Oliver and Maya Angelou. WHAT DO YOU DO?
I'm mostly a portrait photographer. My work is largely inspired by my obsession for art history. Painters like Mark Rothko, Baya Mahieddine, and Matisse all inspire my largely color-focused stylized photography. I'm also a writer/director. I have a series of mini documentaries and a few narrative short films floating around out there. WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
I see myself as just a part of a long line of portraitists. It's an old human tradition to study and depict the people around you. What drives me to create is as simple as I am here now and I want to talk about it. A lot of my writing involves people in the food service industry, LGBT+ identity, and tense interpersonal relationships.
TORI DANIELS
Work by Tori
LEFT: Tori; RIGHT: Work by Tori
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Tori Chioma Daniels, I go by Tori Ethereal. I’m a 20 year old, Nigerian/British Fine artist. I identify as queer and Non binary. I was born in Hackney but I’ve spent the majority of my life in Essex. I’m currently based in East London. WHAT DO YOU DO?
I work with photography and time based media. I paint and illustrate, working with sound and dabbling in sculpture. I also write poetry and recently have gotten into screenwriting. I utilise a multitude of mediums as a means of an expression and I just experiment really.
I use my art to explore parts of myself and to represent people and experiences that surround me. My photography style towards more of a documentation style; however, I use a lot of colours and lights to give reality a surreal feel. I often try to portray youth culture and/or represent marginalized individuals. I enjoy exploring characters with different visual elements and the presentation of self, which is why I work with masks and self portrait. WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
Whenever I draw, paint or sculpt, I aim to portray things from my dissociative perspective or draw from a divine space. I can’t really draw from images, so it is very heavily inspired by what I see on the paper as I go along, which is very interesting to me, as I never know what I’m actually going to end up with and I feel like I’ve manifested something that subconsciously exists in my mind. Similarly, this is what drives my sound art too. When it comes to sound I find myself trying to create a sense of nostalgia. Whilst creating my sound pieces recently, it seems that they are fuelled by experiences, trauma at times, and memories, but filtered through my dissociative perspective. I’m intrigued by the emotions sound can provoke. Even with photography and writing, and just everything I guess, it's really becoming so centered on raw and unfiltered emotions. Artists such as Klein, Philip Toledano, Nadine Ijewere and writers like Akwaeke Emezi influence me heavily.
RYAN COURTIER
LEFT & RIGHT: Work by Ryan; CENTRE: Ryan
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Hi! I'm Ryan Courtier and I'm from Bury St Edmunds Suffolk, U.K. ... although i'm a resident of the world - longing to visit new lands, places and spaces! For now I'm trapped in my creativity in these strange COVID-19 times, making new worlds in the land of collage. Pleased to meet you!
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a collage artist. I make collages inspired by my experience and time spent in nature with lots of floral and botanical imagery... perhaps a manifesto for my own proclamation about the urgency to save our planet from human destruction! I am very in touch with nature and the relationship between nature and art. Nature's awe-inspiring beauty must be revealed and delicately considered on a daily basis! It's the only truth and hope for our planet's prosperous future.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
Movement drives my creativity. Being in a variety of places that are often in nature, spending precious time contemplating life, and reveling in moments like staring up at the stars, which I do every week. I believe for one to truly be in touch with one's emotions is best described by Ernest Hemingway in this sentence: "It is both a blessing and a curse to feel everything so very deeply" ... Words which I believe rest at the very root and core of an artist's being.
THOMAS PERRY
Thomas
WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
My name is Thomas Perry and I’m from Yateley in Hampshire.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a musician, producer and singer-songwriter. I play Bass, Guitar (Electric and Classical) Drums and I participate in poetry, as I enjoy expressing through spoken word, as well as learning new and interesting vocabulary to incorporate in my music. Aside from producing my own music, I also offer a service to produce and mix instrumentals for other people in my home studio.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?
My creativity is driven by my wish to spread my message and help individuals through times of need. Ever since I was young I was told that I could be anything I wanted to be if I really committed to it. This, combined with heavy influences from close family members and good friends, made me believe that I was destined to be a musician all along. Seeing beauty in simple things like rhyme, rhythm and melody are fundamental to my motivation and happiness, and keep me wanting to make something new again and again.
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