August/September 2024, ITGWO Vlieland.

Yali is a combination of wood carving, electronics, architectural structure, sound and spoken words which make use of nature as an interactive environment. The work ushers your presence and at the same time directly gazes at you especially when you find yourself standing in one of the seven door frames. The moment one walks towards each of the doors it triggers a sensor which plays a voice initiating a conversation between you and the head (sculpture)  facing you.

The work reminds us of the rituals associated with disintegration of the human body and its relations with nature. At the same time the heads buried in the ground is a symbol of a new life emerging out of the earth.  When death gives rise to a new form through energy exchange between earth and it cohabitates. An evocation of lost souls as fluid bodies traveling between time. A beautiful aspect of the installation is that you have a different feeling of experiencing it during the day and in the night.

The seven voices  recorded for the piece are, Reyhan Lal, Karel van Laere,  Natalia Papaeva, Ohad Ben Shimon, Fransisca Angela, Thato Toeba and myself 

Sound by Ibukun Sunday.

Photo credit: Sander Heezen, Marleen Annema and the artist.

May 2024, Rijksakademie Open Studios

This piece reveals the journey of 300-year-old pine trees that serve as the beams and pillars of an old farmhouse in Wijdewormer, North Holland—and at the same time bears witness to a constellation of evocative memories. The woods undergo a surgical procedure through the use of my caving tool which through this process reveals what has been hiding in them for ages.

While working on them, I accidentally get interrupted by nails that have been buried into the wood due to past architectural decisions. At the same time, the working process often felt like running into a buried treasure/history at an archaeological site, and many obscure moments are revealed as a result.

At one point, I could imagine myself bisecting the belly of a carcass, as the smell of the wood completely took over my studio and clothes-a smell that ushers you deep into the past as you get closer to it. The form and visible figures informed by the piece are frozen moments of my ancestors, as well as their stories, in connection to the architectural life within a farming community. This was inspired by the stories shared by the families who were once sheltered by these beams and pillars at Wijdewormer. The whole project is tied together with a live performance that borrows elements from flamenco dance.

March, 2024 at Drawing Centre Diepenheim

With “Duologue,” Abul Hisham and Maike Hemmers add an extra dimension to their duo exhibition “Mind Wandering Mind. For this event, they are inviting two performance artists, Martin Toloku and Chloe Chignell, to respond to the work on display with words and movement.

Photo credit: Noortje Rap 

January, 2024

Exhibition and Live performance at Motormond Amsterdam.

This exhibition called for the reenactment of my performance ‘Mut@tion’ but this time I changed and added new elements.

Co-performers are; Rivolta Sata, Anllel Maria, Aldhukair Fay, Aez Nana Pinay, Kirtis Clarke, Nayo Sauter, Kofi Aynao Yeji Boanyah

The exhibition is supported by Gemeente Amsterdam West.