"I'm going to go to their offices, because whenever I hand out the CV nobody replies or they say ‘no’. So if I meet them face to face, I can blag my way in."

Toyin Owoseje | Proving Persistence Is The Key, Wrench and Bulldozer For Unlocking Opportunity’s Door

Feature Post Of The Week

In Her Words |

Principle 2:
The Beloved Community
is the framework for the future.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr |
Six Principles of Nonviolence

"

Food-For-Thought

social integration | soh-shuh l in-ti-grey-shuhn |
n.
"the blending and unifying of social groups, most commonly seen in the desegregation of races throughout history"

Yaaya asks:

To what extent do you feel social integration
for European black women has been achieved in the nation you live in?

?

Join The Conversation

Yaaya Asks About | Social integration for black women in Europe and for European black women globally

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Immigrant Or Citizen? | Kiri Kankhwende

“Australians don’t have integration issues the way migrants from, say, Somalia or Pakistan do; indeed, nobody really thinks that Australians are foreign at all.”

In August, Melanie McDonagh, a columnist for the Evening Standard, commented on Boris Johnson’s proposal that Commonwealth citizens be given “preferential treatment” with regards to the immigration cap on non-EU migrants:

“Arguing about immigration simply in terms of bald numbers always seems a dud idea because it ignores the fact that some immigrants assimilate without even trying; others don’t.”
In case there was any doubt, she drove her point home:
“Australians don’t have integration issues the way migrants from, say, Somalia or Pakistan do; indeed, nobody really thinks that Australians are foreign at all.”
It was a short comment, almost an aside – as if she was simply restating a self-evident truth, so true in fact that she did not have to elaborate further on what these “issues” of integration might be. So often, those who decry the racism in immigration policies or rhetoric are chided for over-reacting or “playing the race card.” However, the reason Melanie could make such a sweeping statement was because she knew that everyone knew what she meant: it’s a coded discussion, and the code was ‘race’.

Race and immigration are intertwined, and have been since the first major immigration controls were introduced as a reaction to people from the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia immigrating to the U.K. during the 1950s. Institutional racism is more insidious and difficult to pin down than overt racism, but the recent government has made it easier with policies such as the “Go Home” van, a van emblazoned with the words, “In the UK illegally? Go home or face arrest.” The advertising campaign was allegedly targeted at those in the UK illegally, but only driven around some of London’s most ethnically diverse boroughs, including Hounslow and Brent during its week-long trial.

If ethnic minorities bear the brunt of an elaborate immigration policy aimed at keeping people out rather than facilitating the reality of migration in a global marketplace, the measures targeted at family are a particular issue of concern for black women. Feminist campaigner Chitra Nagarajan has written an excellent blog post about the intersection of migration and women’s rights and the implications of new spousal immigration rules. She also highlights historic injustices, such as the virginity tests of the 1970s:

“The practice of ‘virginity testing‘ in the 1970s has been well documented. Immigration rules at the time did not require women arriving in the UK to have married their fiancés in order to have visas if the wedding was due to take place within 3 months of arrival. Internal Home Office papers show the practice of conducting medical examinations to see whether a woman entering the UK under this bracket was a ‘bona fide virgin or fiancée.’ At least 80 ‘virginity tests’ or, to give them their proper name, state sanctioned sexual assaults took place, based on racist and sexist stereotypes that south Asian women are submissive, meek and always virgins before marriage and on the biologically false notion that all women have hymens before having sex. The UK state has still not apologised for this. [1]”

New spousal rules, among other measures, have raised the amount of money a person has to earn before their spouse can join them in the UK. Consequently, these rules have been roundly criticised for breaking up families. People of all races are dragged into the net, and married couples are more likely to end up separated because they are students for example, or because one is self-employed and cannot prove a steady income for a said spouse. Richard Fabb, a British man married to an Australian, wrote in his article on Comment is Free about the toll that a longer probationary period was having on his family. His wife could not take up work until her probation expired and as a result was reluctant to leave Australia and return with him to the UK:

"The long probationary period is meant to make it harder for sham marriages to last, and to be a period in which the applicant can assimilate into society. To me, it feels as if there is a presumption of criminality that I find offensive. I do not want my wife to spend that long as an outsider when she’s already lived in the UK for four years on an ancestry visa. She’s pretty well assimilated thanks very much. What’s more, in marrying me she cemented a lifelong connection to Britain."
Perhaps the universality of the policy and its effects on British citizens and their families as well as migrants is the reason why it has received a moderate amount of press coverage.

Britain is not alone in its ever hardening stance towards immigration, particularly given the ongoing recession. Europe has long strived to create “Fortress Europe.” Colonel Gaddaffi warned that without Libya policing its coastline, Europe would “turn black” due to migration from Africa to Italy across the Mediterranean Sea. For years, there have been reports of African migrants and refugees aboard boats leaving North Africa for Europe with an untold number perishing in the sea. On 3rd October, a boat packed with more than 500 Eritrean men, women and children caught fire and capsized, killing 364 people and causing shockwaves around Europe. Author and broadcaster Kenan Malick blamed the tragedy on EU border policies:

“Last week’s horror was neither an accident nor merely a tragedy. It was the gruesomely inevitable consequence of EU border policies. For more than three decades the EU has been constructing a Fortress Europe to keep the ‘unwanted’ from landing on the shores of the continent, spending hundreds of millions of euros on external border controls. At the end of this year the latest scheme, Eurosur, a new Mediterranean surveillance and data-sharing system making use of drones and satellites is due to come on stream. European policymakers claim that the system will help prevent disasters such as the one in Lampedusa. History suggests that it will be deployed to prevent migrants from reaching Europe but not to save their lives.

Fortress Europe has created not only a physical barrier around the continent, but an emotional one, too, around Europe’s sense of humanity. Migrants have come to be seen less as living, breathing human beings than as so much flotsam and jetsam to be swept away from Europe’s beaches.”

Asylum and immigration are often conflated, more often to the detriment of the asylees, who, it is often forgotten, are seeking refuge. In Switzerland, some towns have moved to segregate asylum seekers entirely, banning them from public places due to fears about “criminal activity.” A “rising climate of Islamophobia” in France a concern for its Muslim population, while, in Italy, the first black MP and anti-racism campaigner, Cecile Kyenge has been likened to an orang-utan, had bananas thrown at her, and labeled a prostitute. Kyenge’s struggle goes to the heart of the issue. The epitome of grace under fire, she has been targeted personally for daring to push for Italy’s immigrant’s to be recognised as citizens, backing a new law that would grant citizenship to children born in Italy, regardless of their parentage.

The benefits of migration are usually cast in economic terms. It is true, migrants give more to the public purse than they take out, and they are less likely to use social housing. According to the latest figures by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, migrants make a net contribution to the public purse of 0.46% of GDP (including pensions). But there is more to the story; it has a human element. Where the state intrudes so deeply into people’s lives, the least we can demand is a system that treats everyone equally and with respect for human dignity. If not, Ethnic minorities will always feel like their citizenship is under review. The policy of immigration spot checks in tube stations and on buses, in which racial profiling is allegedly rife, exacerbates that feeling. The message from the British Government is clear: don’t get too comfortable. You don’t really belong here.

Source | [1] “Uncovering virginity testing, controversy in the National Archives: The intersectionality of discrimination in British immigration history” (2011)


~ Kiri Kankhwende | @madomasi
Kiri is a Malawian writer living in London with an eye on Southern Africa. She has a background in human rights campaigning and is interested in immigration, politics and theatre. She can be found blogging at madomasi.wordpress.com and mediadiversity.com.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Africa, Newham And Italy: Where Inspiration Meets Imagination

"That’s another inspiration for my artwork as well.
The feeling I get
from being in Newham is amazing.
I feel happy here."

In the final part of our interview with Antonietta, we discover her interest in Nigeria, the impact she hopes her work will achieve amongst young people, why Newham holds a special place in her heart, and future projects she is working on.

And so the conversation continues …

Yaaya:
Looking into the future, what impact would you like your work to have on others?
Antonietta T:
I would like it to have a big impact on young people, but that is where the role of my art workshops would come in. My business would be split up into two sections. It would be the workshops, and the textiles and art side. I want to be an ambassador for art, for young people. That’s what I want to do. How was that? Shall I add anything else?
Yaaya:
(Laughs) That was perfect! We like your last sentence very much. “I want to be an ambassador for art for young people.”
Where would be your dream location or exhibition to showcase your work?
Antonietta T:
Somewhere in Africa.
Yaaya:
Is there a particular country you have in mind?
Antonietta T:
Nigeria I think.
Yaaya:
Why Nigeria?
Antonietta T:
I haven’t been there, but I have a lot of friends from there, and they always bring back clothes or things they’ve bought from there, and I’m just like “wow!” The designs on [the clothes] are so crazy. They talk about what they did when they were on holiday, and how they went to fashion events, and how the fashion scene is buzzing right now. Nigeria would be a great place for me to go, especially since my work is contemporary as well. It would really work well out there.
Yaaya:
You seem to be quite a cultured person that interested in your heritage, family, culture, Africa etc. Where does this come from?
Antonietta T:
I’m not sure. I’ve always been a person that thrives on visual images. Even if I sit here and close my eyes, I see lots of flashing images! If I’m trying to describe something to someone, I describe it in such a visual way. I wouldn’t say turn left or turn right. Also I love bright colours, so that’s where my love of African textiles come from.

From a young age, I have thought that everyone should embrace where they are from. Also, growing up in Newham is just so multicultural and I really enjoy living here because of that. Everyone has something different to bring to the place that they are living in, and it’s nice to live in a place where people live in harmony together. That’s another inspiration for my artwork as well. The feeling I get from being in Newham is amazing. I feel happy here. You do get the odd racist person, but there is hardly any of that in Newham. Everyone mixes, everyone knows people from different cultures, there are lots of mixed families, so it’s a nice place to live.
Yaaya:
What projects are you currently working on?
Antonietta T:
I’m working on a project that is exploring my dad’s Italian heritage. I’ve only just started doing sketches of images I took last year in Italy. I produced a sketch of my grandma. She’s a farmer so she’s quite strong. I thought that would be an interesting basis for my art work, because I would be exploring concepts like strength in women.

Also there is a town in the mountains where my dad’s family is from called Valva in Naples, and you can see it from where my grandma lives now. My mum bought me a new lense for my camera so you can see the town clearly, and so I was able to take a really good photo of the town. I was drawing different sketches and playing with colours. I initially did the sketches in black and white but didn’t like it. My work is not black and white as my aesthetic is very experimental with colour. So I had to adapt it, and bring out myself in my work, and make it more contemporary and interesting.
Yaaya:
How is the project progressing?
Antonietta T:
I’ve stopped a bit because it’s hard when you delve into family issues, and you start contemplating about things. I keep stalling but I need to do it because it’s really important. I never met my paternal grandfather, so its kind of hard and emotional. When I found out he (paternal grandfather) passed away I was really sad as I never met him, but at the same time I wasn’t upset because I didn’t know him. That’s when I thought I need to express this through art.
Yaaya:
Where can we see some of your work?
Antonietta T:
You can see it at KPMG, however it’s a private exhibition. I think they will open it up soon, so when I find out I will let you know. You can see my work at Kamba Gallery in Great Antiques Market in Mayfair.

You can also see my work in Number 8. It’s a shop in Forest Gate opposite the train station. It’s an emporium, so they sell different types of things like vintage items, plates, vases and other random things. They also sell artists work, my work and two other artists are being sold there. It’s a little shop, but they have so many things.

You can also see my work in Established, which is a pop up shop in Westfield, Stratford City. It’s one of the shops outside.
Yaaya:
So we can see your work in a lot of places?
Antonietta T:
Antonietta T: Yes. There will be some more places coming up soon though, but I can’t think of any more at the moment!
Yaaya:
We'd like to end this interview by asking you to complete a few sentences. So let's begin!

Art is important because ...
Antonietta T:
It’s a way for people to express their feelings without speaking.
Yaaya:
If I wasn’t an artist I would be ...
Antonietta T:
A wedding planner. It’s so random! (Laughs)
Yaaya:
Living in the UK feels ...
Antonietta T:
It feels good to live in the UK because you have a lot of opportunities even if you don’t think about it straight way. You meet so many different people, as people come from all over the world to live here and start new lives. The U.K is a really interesting place because of that. You can find everything and everywhere here. I love it!
Yaaya:
Yaaya to me represents ...
Antonietta T:
A platform for women to inspire others.

This post concludes our interview with Antonietta Torsiello. Share with us your thoughts on Antonietta’s journey and future ambitions!

Catch-up on the earlier parts of our conversation:

Part 1: Antonietta Torsiello, Newham’s Rising Artist
Part 2: Navigating The World Of Art: Being Young, Female And Black

Image Source | These images do not belong to Yaaya. Images courtesy of Antonietta Torsiello.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Navigating The World Of Art: Being Young, Female And Black

"I never realised
that you could
get so much
by just
asking."

In Part 2 of this three-part interview, we explore the realities of being a young, female and black artist, as well as the general challenges that exist with being an artist. We also learn about Antonietta's commitment to promoting the arts amongst young people, and her dreams of starting a business to achieve this aim.

And so the conversation continues …

Yaaya:
Is it important to you to reflect your heritage in your work?
Antonietta T:
I try to illustrate a lot of my heritage in my work, especially being the kind of person I am. Growing up, my mum was a socialist. I’ve been going to demonstrations and things like that with my mum since I was 6 years old, so I’ve always been quite conscious. I know where I come from, so it’s really important.
Yaaya:
What is your background?
Antonietta T:
My mum is Jamaican and my dad is Italian.
Yaaya:
In your pre-interview form, you state that you want to promote the arts among younger people. Why is this important to you?
Antonietta T:
It’s important because a lot of young people are losing faith in different things. I went to a Secondary School in Newham, and I’m not criticising the school but I wasn’t supported. I knew that I had learning difficulties, and any time I tried to get help for it, no one wanted to help me. They would say I’m disruptive instead of helping me.

Nowadays, I think it's even worse because there are cuts in funding to youth centres and other provisions for young people. So it’s easy for young people to say that “I’m just going to do an apprenticeship”. I’m not saying that apprenticeships are bad, but they should believe that they have different options. Further and Higher Education shouldn’t just be for rich people. Young people need to be educated in a lot of different things. Young people are pushed towards subjects like business or the sciences, and that’s fine, but it would be nice for them to value the arts. That’s why I want to promote the Arts among younger people. They should have options, a lot of options that I didn’t have. I now have the opportunity to do this for young people.
Yaaya:
That’s really inspirational. Have you done any workshops with young people?
Antonietta T:
I’ve done children’s art workshops, but I want to do workshops where I combine practical activities with talks. I would like to talk about a particular subject, or the children can bring up a subject, and we can talk through it, and then move onto a practical activity. I want to combine the two to get young people thinking a bit more.
Yaaya:
Yaaya is interested in hearing about the experiences of black women in certain industries, and issues to do with social invisibility. What is it like to be a young, female black artist?
Antonietta T:
It’s hard. I’m not going to lie. It’s really hard. Luckily I have the support of my mum who supports me so much. I doubt myself a lot, and I now believe in myself a lot more because of her. Some people are not lucky enough to have that support. I’m really lucky.

Going back to the question, it can be difficult sometimes because when people see my work at an exhibition, I sometimes step back to see what they think about it. I listen to them, and then go and speak to them, and they just look at me like “who are you?” They don’t believe that it’s my work!
Yaaya:
Why do you think that they feel it is not your work?
Antonietta T:
I don’t know. Maybe they don’t think I’m capable producing the work I do. It is disheartening at times. Sometimes you just have to show them, and that’s what I’m doing. I want to change the situation for young black female artists. We do get opportunities but not as much as men. Art is a very male dominated sector. Sometimes it seems that if you want to get some attention, you have to do random and controversial stuff like Tracey Emin with the beds. Have you seen it?
Yaaya:
No. Can you explain what this Tracey Emin did?
Antonietta T:
She did an installation of her bed, which had clothes thrown over her bed, along with used condoms, dirty knickers and pads (sanitary towels). Next to the bed, there was a list of all the people she slept with in her life. It’s tempting to think that this is the sort of thing women have to do to get noticed in this industry. It’s just ridiculous, because obviously I’m not going to do something like that. It’s just not who I am. Fair enough that is who she is, as her other work is quite mad as well.

It’s just difficult for artists not to do crazy things. It’s hard for women because they don’t get recognised as much as men. I don’t see it changing right now to be honest. If you think about it, there are not many female artists you can think of, off at the top of your head. When you think of artists, you think of people like Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci. I think there may have been women in those times who were doing art, but are not mentioned. It’s really sad. I think in the future it will change. That’s one of the reasons why I want to expose art to young people, so they begin to develop an awareness of art at an early age, and when they get to my age they would want to help someone else.


Yaaya:
You spoke of your mum being a great support to you. Do you have a mentor at all?
Antonietta T:
I don’t have a mentor at the moment. I do have people who I get advice from, but not necessarily a mentor. Once I start on the Prince’s Trust course they will place me with a mentor in my sector which I’m really looking forward to.
Yaaya:
Are there any artists or textiles designers you look up to?
Antonietta T:
The artists I look up to the most are a duo. They are a married couple called Eley Kishimoto. They are really amazing. The woman is Japanese and the man I think is either British or American. You should check them out. They just don’t do textiles, but they also make clothes, and work with other companies. They have worked with a company that produces motorbike helmets, and they did the design for them. That’s the type of stuff that I want to do. You know just random stuff, and collaborating with different people, and making different products. I’m thinking too far ahead, but it’s good to be ambitious.
Yaaya:
We’re aware that you would like to start your own business where you sell your framed art and interior furnishings with art prints on them. What challenges and opportunities exist in the art world for artists, and those that sell art?
Antonietta T:
Marketing is a big challenge for artists. It’s the main challenge. I’ve seen how a lot of talented people struggle to sell their work as they don’t know how to market it, or they are not marketing their work to the right people. They are marketing their work to people who like it, but can’t afford it, or like it, but just don’t buy it. That’s the struggle for artists a lot of the time, and there isn’t enough time in the day to market your work. Unless you know someone who is a computer whizz, it can be difficult. Even me, I’m very good with computers, I know how to put my work on websites and blogs but its still hard.

Doing it on your own is difficult, because you’re focusing on the creative side, which is your work, and you have to worry about the promotional side, and whether people will turn up to your exhibition. That’s the other thing, I spend seven hours on the computer everyday working on marketing my work, and I feel that takes away from what I need to do creatively.
Yaaya:
And what about opportunities? What opportunities exist for artists in the art world?
Antonietta T:
There are opportunities in the art world, but you have to just ask! I never realised that you could get so much by just asking.

Talking to people is one way to get a lot of opportunities, because you never know who you may meet. For example, I was talking to one lady on the train recently, and she asked me to pass her a newspaper and we ended up just speaking to one another. I found out that she owns a really big gallery in west london, and she was asking me to send her some of my work. I wasn’t even going to speak to her but I thought let me just be nice and talk to her. You can’t tell by just looking at someone what they have, or who they know or anything like that.

On the 17th November 2013, Yaaya will post the final part of our conversation with Antonietta. We will find out more about the impact Antonietta hopes her work will achieve, her love for Africa and Newham, and future projects she will be working on.

Image Source | These images do not belong to Yaaya. Images courtesy of Antonietta Torsiello.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Antonietta Torsiello, Newham’s Rising Artist

Unassuming, shy, thoughtful and talented are words that come to mind when we think of Antonietta Torsiello. Unaccustomed to talking about her achievements, work and ambitions, this modest Artist from Newham (East London) has a lot to shout about. She has a wealth of experience and many artistic qualifications under her belt, an impressive portfolio of work, and has represented at numerous exhibitions since 2010. Recently, she has had a private exhibition of her work displayed at KPMG’s headquarters in Canary Wharf, London - evidently this 24 year-old is gradually making her mark on the London contemporary art scene.

Antonietta has dreams to start her own business by specialising in selling framed art and interior furnishings that have been customised with her own prints. Community development is also one of her other passions, and she hopes to inspire a generation of young people to value the arts, as well as actively communicate with one another about issues they feel strongly about.

Fresh after recently learning that she will be represented by Kamba Gallery in Mayfair London, Yaaya caught up with Antonietta in Newham.

And so the conversation begins …

Yaaya:
Antoinetta! At long last we have finally met! Thank you very much for agreeing to be interviewed. We understand you have been very busy of late. What have you been up to?
Antonietta T:
Yes I have. I’ve been trying to get my work into exhibitions, and I’m currently exhibiting at KPMG’s headquarters in Canary Wharf. In addition, I’m now being represented by a gallery in Mayfair. It’s a gallery that sells contemporary art and also African artifacts.
Yaaya:
What is the name of the gallery?
Antonietta T:
The gallery is called Kamba. They’ve been really supportive of my work because I did get to a point recently where I asked myself: “Where can I go with this?” I met one of the representatives in Victoria (South West London), and I showed her my work, and she said that it was really interesting because my work illustrates how Africa meets the West. She said that my works evoke different experiences merged into one, so we just went from there, and I’ve kept in contact with them quite a lot. I haven’t sold anything yet, but I’ve received positive feedback. I’m also working with the Prince’s Trust at the moment, and enrolling on their business course because I want to start a business in printing textiles.
Yaaya:
So you’ve been very busy!
Antonietta T:
(Laughs). Yeah I have.
Yaaya:
What motivated you to be interviewed by Yaaya?
Antonietta T:
When I went on the blog it seemed really interesting, especially the inspirational person you had interviewed. I can’t remember the lady’s name, but it really inspired me, and I thought “I want to be like her!” (laughs).
Yaaya:
Do you remember her name?
Antonietta T:
No. She’s an academic. She’s quite a mature woman.
Yaaya:
Cecile Wright?
Antonietta T:
Yes that’s her name! She’s amazing! If I can inspire someone with my art, I thought doing this interview would be a good way to do that, even though I’m not good with interviews or talking about myself. I thought doing the interview would be a good way to overcome this fear, and show people what I’m about.
Yaaya:
Diving straight in, on your website you describe yourself as a visual artist and textiles designer. Can you tell our readers what this actually means?
Antonietta T:
OK. Well the thing with me, in terms of being an artist, is that I’ve tried so many different types of art, so it’s difficult for me to try and label my craft.So I thought visual art covers a lot, as I’ve literally done everything from Sculpture, to Photography, to Fine Art. Everything you can think of I’ve done it, as I’ve completed a variety of courses: Art and Design where you do all different types of things to Fashion and Textiles, which is the construction of clothing. I thought visual art covers a lot of things, and Textile Design is what I studied at university where I specialised in printmaking on textiles. This was where I wanted to go next in my career, so I added textiles into the description of my craft.
Yaaya:
What products or pieces do you design?
Antonietta T:
At the moment I’m designing tea towels and framed art. I’m selling smaller pieces of my framed art at a pop up shop in Stratford Westfield called Established. They sell artwork by creative people in Newham. I also sell some cards there. What I really want to do is interior furnishing like cushions and curtains. When people see my work they always say “that will look nice on a cushion” or “that will look nice on fabric.” Eventually, I would also like to make furniture, but lets not get too ahead of ourselves (laughs).
Yaaya:
We can see that you are very passionate about your craft, as seen through the various qualifications you have in design, and the impressive number of exhibitions you’ve been part of. What has drawn you to this career?
Antonietta T:
When I was in secondary school I was so obsessed with art. You literally couldn’t get a pencil out of my hand! At first, I wanted to be a fashion designer. That was the career path I chose, and that is why I studied Fashion at college. Through studying the course, I realised that I didn’t like making clothes. I could do it very well, but I didn’t enjoy it. I rather liked the design and visual aspect of clothes. I didn’t like sitting on a sewing machine, so I decided to do an Art and Design course at Waltham Forest College, which was a really good course. It was a two year course crammed into one - year intensive course. After that I just tried all different types of art. When I went to university I found that printmaking was what I loved, especially screen printing so I stuck to that.
Yaaya:
We understand that your main inspiration is drawn from historical textile patterns, architecture, African culture and the 1960s. Why do these themes inspire you?
Antonietta T:
I can’t really pinpoint it. Once I see a pattern or colour it brings emotions out of me, and I feel like I have to go with it. I can’t say why it is specifically that they inspires me, but as soon as I see something that touches me, I go with it. I like to create work inspired by other things. I will have an idea in my head, and look at how I can combine it with things I see around me. I do this by researching, and figuring out ways to combine things. My head works in a weird way like that (Laughs).
Yaaya:
How do you reflect these themes in your work?
Antonietta T:
A lot of my recent work has been focused on trying to combine my water colour illustrations, the images of London I created last year and African textiles and culture. I researched different African tribes, and I found a tribe that uses a lot of flower decorations to adorn themselves. I found it really interesting because it looks like they are camouflaged. I really enjoyed looking at them. I really need to go to Africa. I know we are going off subject but I want to go. That is where I would love to go next. What was the question again? (laughs)
Yaaya:
The question was: how do you reflect these themes in your work?
Antonietta T:
I just think about two concepts separately. For example, if I was going to make an image to do with London or England, Africa and African textiles, and I want to combine them, I would do the art work separately and then think how I can adapt it, so that the images gel well together.
Yaaya:
Let’s talk about your ‘Afriwest’ design. What made you want to create a piece that merged African and western fashion culture?
Antonietta T:
When I was on a fashion imaging course I found myself being pushed to think about other art work like fashion photography and fashion marketing. However I didn’t really want to go down that route. I thought how can I add the fashion element and make it interesting for myself? ‘Afriwest’ is about fashion, but its also about culture. I looked at how Western designers have started to use African fabrics over the past couple of years in their work. I found this interesting, but also at the same time I wanted to explore where they got these ideas from. A lot of people seem disconnected from the African influences on Western fashion. They see such clothes on catwalk shows in London or New York, but they don’t really think about where the inspiration for these clothes come from. They will only say “ah that’s nice” or “I would wear that because it’s pretty”, but I wanted to go a little deeper and look at the inspiration behind it.
Yaaya:
Would you agree that the merging of western culture with so called “ethnic” cultures is a trend or a fad?
Antonietta T:
I think it is a trend, but there are dangers about it because there has to be a recognition of the heritage behind it. It’s important that the heritage is recognised.
Yaaya:
So you don’t think Western designers are publicly recognising the roots of their African inspired garments?
Antonietta T:
No
Yaaya:
Why do you think this is?
Antonietta T:
It’s obvious that their patterns are African print, but many act like they are reinventing it, and I don’t really like that.

Look out for Part 2 of this three-part post on 15th November, where Yaaya discusses with Antonietta the inspiration behind her work, women in the arts and the challenges of being an artist.

Leave your comments below to let us know what you have found inspiring about Antonietta. Invite others to the conversation by sharing this post!

Image Source | These images do not belong to Yaaya. Images courtesy of Antonietta Torsiello.

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