“Draft:Stella Fakiyesi”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

Stella Fakiyesi is a Nigerian-Canadian photographer and visual artist. Her work explores the intersections of gender and race and is stated by Fakiyesi as a form of “social and cultural commentary.”^[1] Fakiyesi formally studied at the OCAD University in Toronto, Ontario.^[2] Her art has been featured in galleries throughout Canada and around the world. Notable exhibitions that Fakiyesi has been a part of are “Tutu”, her solo exhibition at the BAND Gallery in Toronto, “Portrait Afrika” at Haus der Kulturen Der Welt in Berlin and “Position as Desired: Exploring African Canadian Identity” at the Royal Ontario Museum (and its other showings at various art galleries across Canada).^[1] Fakiyesi also started SOF Art House in Toronto and managed the gallery from the years 1999 to 2005.^[1]

Early Life

Fakiyesi was born in Nigeria but grew up in Toronto, Ontario. Her identity has been influential in shaping her work and photographic endeavours. Fakiyesi uses her photography to explore Black-Canadian identity and is among other photographers who “use photography to re-present, re-imagine and re-inscribe the Black body into the Canadian cultural imaginary."^[3]

In the Royal Ontario Museum Archive of the exhibition “Position as Desired: Exploring African Canadian Identity” that Fakiyesi’s work was a part of, she is stated as a photographer who uses her personal experience for her art.^[4]

Education

Stella Fakiyesi graduated from the OCAD University, where she completed an undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts from 1993-1997.^[1] OCAD University is Canada’s premier design school located in Toronto, Ontario and the largest and oldest educational institute for art and design in Canada. Fakiyesi has stated that Experimental Photography with Barb Astam was an influential class during her time at OCAD as it inspired her to be more experimental with her practice.^[2]

Practice

Stella Fakiyesi also works with thread on paper as well as photography.^[2] But she has stated that with photography “has always been a relatively easy way… to express myself artistically and emotionally.”^[2] Fakiyesi has mentioned that photographer Michael Chambers was a source of inspiration for “making the subject of black experience more of a focal point in my work.”^[2] She also cites Herb Ritts and Floria Sigismondi for inspiring her through their capture of movement and experimental techniques, respectively.^[2]

Notable Works

Fakiyesi’s works demonstrate her exploration of the intersections of race and gender.

"Image Dis"

In an older work titled “Image Dis” Fakiyesi states, in her explanation of the work on her website, that she is examining “the way women, particularly black women, are portrayed in the media… the photographs were an exercise in self-imaging and re-imaging.”^[5]

"Tutu"

Her solo exhibition “Tutu” showed at the BAND Gallery in Toronto from February 19, 2015 to April 2, 2015.^[6] The exhibition archive from BAND’s website states that the title of the exhibition “derives from the Yoruba group in South Western Nigeria and means roughly ‘mystic coolness.’”^[6] In this exhibition, Fakiyesi uses her photographs to explore the idea of an intangible “coolness” in African culture.^[6] In her statement about the work, Fakiyesi states she “was struck by this notion of African coolness as a societal norm and expectation… present in gestures, religious practices, attitudes, music, dance and, clothing.”^[7]

Notable Exhibitions

Fakiyesi has exhibited her work around the world at many notable galleries and shows. Her work was displayed as a part of the “Position As Desired: Exploring African Canadian Identity” exhibit at its various showings in 2010, 2012 and 2016.^[1] The exhibition was displayed across Canada at various galleries. It features photographs from the personal collection of the curator Kenneth Montague that he collected throughout his life.^[8] It was inspired by his childhood; his was the only family in a white neighbourhood in Windsor, Ontario.^[8] The works in this exhibition (there are 26), “range from rare vintage portraits of the first African immigrants to Canada to contemporary works by four emerging artists, documenting the experiences of African Canadians.”^[4]

Fakiyesi also took part in the exhibition “Portrait Afrika” at the Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt in Berlin in 1999. The show exhibited works from photographers around Africa and black photographers in Europe and North America, to display African identities and culture.^[9]

She also participated in the exhibition “Everything Remains Raw: Photographing Toronto’s Hip Hop Culture from Analogue to Digital” in the McMichael Canadian Art Collection which features the work of Toronto photographers in the 1990s and 2000s who photographed the city’s hip hop culture.^[10] The exhibition showcases Canadian art and the growth of Toronto’s hip hop scene. Fakiyesi’s work in the exhibition demonstrates her “important connection to, and support of, Black women in the music industry.”^[10]

Fakiyesi also participated in a solo exhibition at the BAND Galleryin Toronto called “Tutu” in 2015.

Exhibitions

Awards and Grants

References

1. ^¹²³⁴{{Cite web|url=http://www.stellafakiyesi.com|title=Stella Fakiyesi: About|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=October 28, 2018}}
2. ^¹²³⁴⁵Stella Fakiyesi, in an email interview with the author, November 7, 2018.
3. ^Fontana, Andrea. “In the Presence of Absence: Invisibility, Black Canadian History, and Melinda Mollineaux’s Pinhole Photography.” Canadian Journal of Communication, vol. 31, no. 1 (2006): 1-7, https://www.cjconline.ca/index.php/journal/rt/printerFriendly/1761/1878.
4. ^¹“Position as Desired/Exploring African Canadian Identity: Photographs from the Wedge Collection.” Royal Ontario Museum. Accessed October 28, 2018. https://www.rom.on.ca/en/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/position-as-desiredexploring-african-canadian-identity-photographs.
5. ^"Image Dis." Stella Fakiyesi. Accessed October 28, 2018. https://www.stellafakiyesi.com/older-work
6. ^¹²“Tutu,”B.A.N.D: Black Artists Network Dialogue, accessed October 28, 2018, http://bandrand.com/band/eng/event/tutu/.
7. ^“Tutu.” Stella Fakiyesi. Accessed October 28, 2018. https://www.stellafakiyesi.com/older-work.
8. ^¹Julie Kotsis. “Art Gallery of Windsor Exhibition Explores History of African Canadians.” Windsor Star. February 17, 2017.https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/black-history.
9. ^“Porträt Afrika Fotografische Positionen eines Jahrhunderts.” Haus Der Kulturen der Welt. Accessed October 29, 2018. http://archiv.hkw.de/external/de/virtuelles_hkw/themen_raeume/afrika.html.
10. ^¹“Everything Remains Raw: Photographing Toronto’s Hip Hop Culture fromAnalogue to Digital.” Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival. Accessed October 28, 2018. https://scotiabankcontactphoto.com/2018/primary-exhibition/mcmichael-canadian-art-collection-everything-remains-raw-photographing-torontos-hip-hop-culture-from-analogue-to-digital.