I Matter

About

"I Matter"

To matter: to be important or significant

Black Curator and Artist, Olu Taiwo curated the exhibition 'I Matter' formed of the work of 15 artists from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and communities. Their work responded to the powerful declaration, "I Matter" and its recent iterations.

Olu Taiwo took part in the Babylon Young Curators Programme in 2020/21; a year-long professional development opportunity for young people aged 18 – 25.

“The ‘I Matter’ exhibition provides a platform to tell their stories of why they matter. I am keen to expand our own perspectives on art, using it to shed light on the broader range of narratives and forms of making. Art is a powerful tool that can be utilised to portray the issues that plague people across all races, backgrounds, religions, orientations and genders.”

- Olu Taiwo
 

Click on the names below to see some of their artwork online:

Following a successful open-call, Olu shortlisted 15 artists with work that best portrayed the theme, including;

Anthony Shintai a visual artist focusing on photography and film-making

Eddie Saint-Jean an artist working in photography and moving image

Jaffar Aly a visual artist

James Chen-Wishart a visual artist

Jay Morally a poet, artist and designer

Kinnari Saraiya a contemporary artist

Manuel Hechavarria a visual artist

Parham Ghalamdar a painter and animator

Rayhan Miah a visual artist

Roy Joseph Butler a visual artist

Hana Sadrai a painter

Suchi Chidambaram a painter

Suman Gujral a printmaker

Teakster a digital artist

Thomas Soyemi a painter.

The exhibition was a mixture of new and existing artworks in various mediums including sculpture, photography, painting, poetry and digital art, by artists at varying stages in the artistic career. All the works responded to the theme, interrogating the powerful declaration, ‘I Matter’, and its recent complex iterations. Olu's vision for the exhibition looked to showcase works that connect to the importance of diversity as it relates to local traditions, customs, crafts or stories and portrays the skills and creativity of artists and creative practitioners.